Body Heat
by Hobbes19
Summary: (Chapter 7 10/23/02) Max has dragged Alec halfway across the country to save Joshua. Danger looms ahead, and unexpected desires present interesting complications for the pair. Can they survive the mission, much less each other?
1. Lucky

Disclaimer: Yeah, yeah.you know the deal. Dark Angel is Cameron and Eglee's baby. But if I ask really nice, can I have Alec? Pretty please? Jensen Ackles will do, too. ;)  
  
Rating: R, for now. Probably will get changed to NC-17 later. BWUHAHAHAHAHA! ;)  
  
Summary: Joshua is captured by White and taken to a remote location in Wyoming. Max convinces Alec to help her since he owes her, and they trek halfway across country together. Unfortunately, Max and Alec get in trouble on the way, and have to rely on each other for survival. But it's the realization of their mutual attraction that starts to make things very complicated on their journey.  
  
A/N: Alrighty, this is a story that happens sometime during S2. It has spoilers for S2 eps up through 'Some Assembly Required'.  
  
This story starts in the middle of Max and Alec's search for Joshua. It will pick up from there.   
  
This is for all the M/A shippers out there who just don't get enough fic...yet.   
  
  
____________________  


  
**_BODY HEAT_**

by

hobbes  


*************

****

CHAPTER ONE

Lucky

  
  
Alec couldn't help but wonder how the hell they had gotten into this situation as he looked down at the female figure that lay unmoving on the cellar's cold, hard floor.  
  
"This is all your fault, you know," he whispered as he bent down and pressed two fingers to Max's neck. Beneath them beat a steady but unnervingly soft pulse. He let out a small sigh of relief. At least she was alive. They may be transgenic super-soldiers that were designed to take extreme circumstances, but even 24 hours in sub-freezing temperatures would eventually take its toll on their superior bodies.  
  
He had literally stumbled upon the locked cellar just a few minutes before. He had been getting very worried - hell, he had been scared- at being unable to locate Max for such a distinct time period. When he had opened the underground room's door and saw Max lying still and curled up in a thick blanket, his heart had jumped in his throat. For just a second, he thought that he was too late; that she was already dead.  
  
If he hadn't of tripped on the handle of the door, he may have never found her. The snow was now coming down hard outside, and the cellar's entrance had been almost entirely covered with the pure white substance, successfully hiding it from view. He could have passed right by and never even known that Max was dying right below him. Alec blanched at the thought. He didn't believe in anything as fancy as a God, however he sent up a silent prayer of thanks that he had found her. If she had died, he would have never been able to forgive himself. Sure, it had been Max's idea to come traipsing out to Wyoming and search for Joshua. And yeah, she had dragged him quite unwillingly along with her. And, of course, she was quite a hothead who acted before she thought and therefore had a knack of getting herself into tight situations. However, her being out here alone to begin with was on him, one hundred percent. If he had just stayed with Max instead of letting her go on her own yesterday, she may not of been caught by White's henchman and subsequently trapped in here.  
  
Sighing again, he stood up and put the lantern he was carrying on a small table that sat in the corner of the cramped room. If Alec were totally honest with himself, he would've admitted that when Max first approached him -well, harassed was a more appropriate word - about coming to Wyoming to get Joshua, he had been a little excited with the prospect of spending a few days alone with her. If he were totally honest with himself, he would have also recognized the fact that it was precisely because she was such a hothead that he found himself as attracted to her as he was. The fact that she was such a knockout didn't hurt either. And, if he were totally honest with himself, he would know that the unconditional loyalty that Max had to those she cared for was what drew him to her as nothing else in his life ever had.  
  
If he'd just acknowledge those tiny facts, he would also admit that it was those very same feelings Max brought out in him that had him frightened like no Manticore mission ever did.  
  
Of course, Alec was a great liar, especially when it came to lying to himself.  
  
And now, here they were in a cellar in the middle of Nowhere, Wyoming with a blizzard raging outside and Max suffering from the mid-stages of hypothermia. No doubt that that bastard White and his men were on the lookout for him as well, and sure to be close by. The snowstorm acted as both a blessing and a curse. The upside was that the harsh weather would keep them safe from White for a while. The downside was that him and Max wouldn't be able to leave anytime soon because the storm presented equally dangerous consequences for both of them as well.  
  
Yep. This was a big mess, and it was all her fault.  
  
Alec knew from his Field Med training how to help when one of his unit were suffering from the symptoms of hypothermia. Of course, Alec didn't picture Max as one of his soldier's in trouble. She was something.different. Something he hadn't wanted to think about too much, cause thinking about her was trouble. And the affect that she had on him was damn unnerving.  
  
However, there was no getting around it. Max needed him now. He turned the lantern up to its full flame and looked down at Max again. She looked so innocent and vulnerable while she slept, and the orange glow from the lantern highlighted her beauty. However he knew that under her goddess looks, she was a fireball- all guts and glory. And he admired that. He wouldn't want a woman to be a pushover, someone who was readily intimidated. Not that he wanted Max or anything. Not at all...  
  
"God damnit!" he exclaimed and ran an impatient hand through his thick, dark hair. He had done enough thinking, and now he needed to get into action. He wasn't going to 'think' Max into getting healthy, after all.  
  
Alec kicked off his socks and shoes and shrugged out of his leather jacket and gray sweatshirt before tossing them into a messy heap on the dusty cellar floor. Then, he undid the button and fly on his jeans, and sent them to the same fate as his other clothing. Standing in only his boxers, he felt a small chill creep up his body as the cold shocked his system. Outside, the wind howled as the storm raged on, slightly rattling the door above them.  
  
Now was the...interesting part, to say the least. Sinking to his knees, Alec unwrapped the blanket from around Max and turned her so she lay flat on her back. Starting with her feet, he took off her shoes and socks and tossed them into the same pile his clothes lay in. Slowly, he began massaging the tiny appendages. They were cold- so cold- and he wanted to warm them up a bit before he headed further up.  
  
There was also no denying that he was a little apprehensive about 'attending' to the rest of her body. Her wonderfully supple body.  
  
'Whoa, boy! She needs you to help her, not lust after her while she is lying here unconscious. Get a fucking grip!'  
  
"Have I told you this is all your fault, Max?" he asked her, more than a little irritated.  
  
When he was satisfied with the temperature of her feet- and when he couldn't drag the process out longer, he moved to her chest. With slightly shaking fingers, he began unzipping her jacket. He convinced himself that it was the cold air that caused his shivering, and not the fact that he was acting like a sixteen year old school boy getting to second base for the first time.  
  
After he successfully removed the leather coat, he began working on her shirt. What in the hell was she wearing a T-shirt for? Didn't she know how damn cold it was outside? How in the hell did she survive for ten years out of Manticore? Damn stupid idiot. He got the shirt off tossed it aside and groaned at the sight before him.  
  
Oh. My. God.  
  
She was wearing a black bra. With lace. Thin, black lace. Over the edge of the bra, the upper half of her milky breasts peaked out, practically beckoning for a man's fingers to run over them. His fingers. He felt his lower body stir and he groaned again.  
  
"What in the hell?" He questioned himself impatiently. He wasn't here to ogle her wonderfully put together body. What kind of sick pervert was he? He was a soldier, for crying out loud! He was supposed to be able to get through these situations without the little head thinking for the big head.  
  
Steeling himself, he moved down to her jeans and began undoing them. When he saw the matching lacy, black underwear that revealed more than they covered, he nearly died. God help him, he would have died pretty damn happy.  
  
Max and black lace? He wouldn't have thought it before, and now that image would forever be etched in his mind.  
  
Alec may have been trained and raised a soldier, he may have different kinds of animals in his genes, but right now, he was just a man. A very human man with an enticingly beautiful woman halfway undressed and under his care.  
  
Taking a deep breath, he finished tugging off Max's jeans from her legs- her beautifully long and slim legs.  
  
He groaned for the third time in as many minutes.  
  
Heat. She needed his body heat. While he may have had chills when he first took off his clothes, the sight of her before him was getting his blood pumping; he sure as hell wasn't 'cold' anymore. He was practically sweating.  
  
Slowly, as if he were afraid she'd bite - as she no doubt would if she were awake - he lay down beside her and drew her into his arms and pressed as close to her as possible. He started working his hands up and down her arms, trying in earnest to get the cool skin up to a decent temperature.  
  
Underneath his roughly textured palms, her skin was silky curves and satin crevices. He turned her onto her side so her backside spooned into his front. There was no use in trying to tame down the very male response of his lower body. No way in Hell would he be able to get his blood to circulate in a different area as long as Max was pressed against him this way.  
  
Not while they both only wore the barest articles of clothing.  
  
Not while the scent of her filled his nostrils, intoxicating him with it's sweet naturalness.  
  
Not while her lush bottom curved perfectly into his midsection.  
  
A few minutes ago, Alec hadn't believed in God, which meant that he didn't believe in a place such as Hell, either. Now, however, he had changed his mind, because he was surely experiencing the most wonderful fruits Heaven offered, and the most sinful delights of Hell.  
  
They just had to get through the night, the storm. Max's body just needed to get to a temperature that was healthy. They just needed to go on tomorrow and get Joshua back.  
  
He just needed a cold shower. He was a damn pervert. Max was practically on the brink of death, and here he was drooling over her when his sole focus should be taking care of her. It's just that taking care of her involved both of them in a vast state of undress.  
  
Not like he didn't want her while she was awake, he just didn't have it shoved in his face or his entire body for that matter - as he did at this moment.  
  
He once again reminded himself that this was all her fault.  
  
Alec sighed and continued rubbing. He just had to continue for a little while. Just until she woke up, then he'd be fine, and she'd be fine. Until then, he'd just have to keep his overactive mind in check.  
  
Alec could do that. He was a strong man, damn it. He had confronted worse things in his days with Manticore, and on his own as well. But when he felt his groin brush against her bottom -again - his resolve flew out the window.  
  
It was going to be a one hell of a long night.  
  
__________  
  
  
  
A/N: Please R & R! I've never tried a story with sexual chemistry before, and I'm really afraid that it sucks. Please let me know what you think.


	2. Kaoz

Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff. If I did, I'd run off with Alec, and I wouldn't let you guys share. But, alas, I'm only a lowly fan fic author. I make no money from this. Trust me. I be poor.  
  
Summary: Alec and Max have trekked halfway across country to save Joshua from White, who has evil plans (just like all villains do) in store for our Mog (half-man, half-dog - haven't you ever seen Spaceballs?) Along the way, a wicked winter storm hinders our heroes' journey; White traps Max in a cellar, and Alec gets naked. (does anyone really care about the plot when Alec is naked?)  
  
Where this story starts: Max is suffering the effects of hypothermia when Alec stumbles upon her, and he must warm her up to stop the condition from progressing.of course, Alec didn't mind the perks or expect the complications of having to nurse our Max back to healthy...*cackle*  
  
Special thanks to: My fellow Smarties, AoD and the Paddle (One fandom, under Alec.); the DAPTB, for hiring the delicious Jensen Ackles to portray my favorite character, and the DA Writers, for making Alec so darn interesting.  
  
A/N: WOW! 35 reviews just for the first chapter. I never expected that kind of warm welcome, especially for a Max/Alec fic. But it just goes to show that you guys have *taste*. ;) So, after much delay, here is the second chapter. Please, read and review, because reviews are the kindest way to thank a writer for his/her story.  
  
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**_BODY HEAT  
_**  
**_by_**

hobbes  


****************  


****

  
CHAPTER TWO  
  
**Kaoz**  
  


  
  
Max mumbled incoherently and pressed her face further into the neck of the muscular man lying beside her. Her arm was slung across his taut, bare abdomen, and her leg was thrown over both of his. She smiled sleepily and snuggled her body closer to him. She fought reality away as she stubbornly tried to stay in her slumber. She felt so warm, and the man next to her was scrumptiously hot against her flesh.  
  
Alec stirred slightly and squeezed the woman in his arms. He slowly trailed his fingertips along the smooth skin of her back, and the light friction gave her goosebumps. Her raven hair sprawled silkily across his chest, and its delicious clean scent was filling his sleep-dazed brain. He felt himself harden in want and pushed himself against her. He was vaguely delighted when she responded with an almost inaudible purr and gently nudged her thigh closer to his groin. He groaned and placed a brief kiss to the top of her head, drawing her even closer.  
  
"Mmmm...Alec." Max whispered, and turned her face toward his...  
  
...Alec...  
  
Alec!  
  
The name registered in her foggy brain, and her eyes flew open. She shot straight up as her drowsiness rapidly fled.  
  
Oh. My. God.  
  
Alec.  
  
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" she yelled, scrambling from him in horror.  
  
_Alec?!?_  
  
He sat up lethargically and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, his expression reminiscent of a little boy whose mother just woke him from a nice dream.  
  
"What did you think I was doing?" He asked with attempted sarcasm, but the effect was lessened by his sleep-induced gritty voice and slightly slurred words.  
  
Max's gaze frantically shot from his face to take in the cramped room. Her eyes caught something on the ground and she became fixated on them..  
  
Clothes. In a heap. On the floor.  
  
His jacket. _Her jacket._  
  
-Oh-  
  
His shirt. _Her shirt._  
  
-My-  
  
His pants. _Her pants._   
  
-God.  
  
She looked down at herself. Her almost wholly naked self, and whipped her head back to Alec. A quite exposed and adorable Alec.  
  
Oh God. She did *not* just think he was adorable. Because she didn't think of him in those terms. She had called him a pretty boy before, but that was just to incense him. Not because she really thought he was pretty.  
  
Did she?  
  
No! No, she didn't! She couldn't!  
  
He sighed, breaking into her thoughts, and she watched as a slightly annoyed look flitted across his face.  
  
Had they slept together? Well, duh! She had woken up in his arms...but had they really *slept* together? The kind where *sex* was involved? She searched her mind desperately for a memory, but she came up blank. There was absolutely no way, though. No. They couldn't have slept together. Not her and...Alec..! Sure the guy was attractive- in fact, he was the epitome of a perfect male - but she cared for Logan. Of course, her and Logan had grown apart since the virus had come between them, however, she wouldn't have just gone off with Alec. And if she did, would she have no recollection of the encounter? She raked her eyes up and down his body.  
  
She doubted it was possible for any woman to be with Alec and not remember.  
  
Max placed her hand on her hips and looked at him angrily, her nostrils flaring slightly and red tinting her cheeks. Alec tried not to be turned on by the action. He tried hard. She was *not* cute when she was riled up; she wasn't beautiful standing there clad only her bra and underwear, all long limbs and smooth curves.  
  
Nope. Not attractive at all. In fact, he decided she wasn't a morning person. Her eyes were slightly puffy, and her hair was mussed. Yep. He wasn't impressed with her whatsoever.  
  
Riiiiight. If that were all fine and dandy, then why in the hell did he feel his lower anatomy tightening up? Why was his blood beginning to stir and threatening to boil like he was some X in heat?  
  
Because no matter what his head was telling him, that wasn't the head in control right now. And if he admitted it to himself, whenever he was around Max, that's how his body usually worked. Of course, this was hardly a time for honesty, he reasoned, and pushed that thought right to the back of his mind.  
  
Lord, he needed to get his pants on before she saw the effect she was having on him. If she thought she was mad now, just wait until she saw *that*. He stood abruptly and pushed his way past her, irrationally upset with her because she had this power over him. With jerky movements, he reached down grabbed his pants.  
  
From behind him, Max's very pissed voice called.

"Um, I'm waiting." Alec shrugged his jeans on and turned to face her. He plastered his ever-present devil-may-care smile on his face and slowly stepped toward her.  
  
"What, you can't tell, Maxie?" he tilted his head to the side and continued. "Your clothes are on the floor, my clothes are on the floor. You woke up practically naked next to me, and if I remember correctly, you seemed quite content to be there for a moment." He had no idea why he didn't just to tell her the events of the night before - about how he had discovered her there in the cellar and how he had needed to get her body temperature back up to a healthy level. But, for some reason, he was just so...annoyed with her. Annoyed with what she was doing to his brain; to his body. Annoyed with the fact that no matter how much he wanted to, he hadn't been able to deny her much anything since they had first met, and she had always treated him like he were some lower life form unworthy of her mere presence.  
  
However, he stopped his wondering the minute he felt her fist slam into his jaw. The action stunned him, and he staggered back a step.  
  
"What did you to me?" she asked through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing death rays through him. It was enough to send him from being annoyed to getting outright furious.  
  
"What did I do to you, Max?" he stared at her a moment, absently rubbing the tender skin where she hit him. "Let's see, what did I do... I stumbled upon this little hole-in-the-ground room and discovered your *unconscious* body on the floor. Hmmm...I guess I should mention that your lips were turning blue, and it was obvious you were suffering from hypothermia. Apparently, you had already been in here for quite a while." He watched Max's face as she processed this info. She must be starting to remember some of what had happened before she had passed out, because a look of guilty recognition sparked in her eyes as he spat his words out at her. "So, you ask, what did I do? I warmed your ass up to save your life. If you remember from field med - wait, did you take that class?" He questioned, the words coming out as a snarl. "I mean, after all, you skipped out on Manticore and the rest of us at a very young age. Anyways, do you know how to help someone who is suffering from hypothermia? Do you?" As he had spoke, he'd leaned his face closer, almost coming nose to nose with her. His heated green eyes dared her to look away, and she could not. She had been wrong to jump to hasty conclusions, and they both knew it. He had probably saved her life, and she how had she thanked him? By slugging him in the jaw. She felt about two inches tall, and was truly sorry. However, her pride and her general distrust of Alec refused to let him see that.  
  
Finally after several beats, she tore her gaze from his and turned to get her clothes from the floor. "So what, you expect me to thank you for that?" she tossed sarcastically over her shoulder, and like lightning, his hand was gripping her arm and thrashing her around to face him again. His blue eyes were ice and for the first time, Max realized that Alec was truly *angry*. She had never seen him like this before, but she knew this was one of the rare times when Alec let his guard down and let himself be...human.  
  
"That's exactly what I expect Max. A 'thank you, Alec'. Or, 'I appreciate that, Alec'. Hell, even just an acknowledgement that while I'm far from perfect, I'm not the total asshole you make me out to be. Damn it!" His voice was climbing and he brought his hand up to grip her chin, making sure she couldn't turn away from him this time. "I'm sorry I can't be the trusty knight-in-shining-armor sidekick like Logan, or even be naïve and innocent as Joshua. But you know what? *I* never asked for any of this. I never asked for *you*! I had no choice the day *you* decided to blow up Manticore."  
  
Max could feel his breath against her cheek, and his fingers tightened slightly on her chin. She couldn't say anything to him, and self-loathing washed over her. She may have felt two inches tall a minute ago, but right now she just wished she were invisible. He was right. About everything. She tried to shrink away from his gaze because she was so ashamed, and he let her chin go before turning away from her in disgust. She paused for a moment, searching for the right words to apologize to him, but she couldn't find them. So she sighed inwardly and busied herself with pulling her clothes on, and watched Alec's back as he did the same thing.  
  
Alec called himself a hundred kinds of a fool. He shouldn't have blown up like that. He should've had better self control over himself. When he had felt her back away from him a second ago, a look of repulsion in her eyes, he felt like a total ass. He shouldn't have grabbed her face like that. Granted, she was an X-5, and more than able to take it, but he'd still crossed the line. He felt guilty about it, but couldn't bring himself to apologize. Pride, his only friend, prevented him from doing so. Instead, he finished dressing and turned back to look at her, not failing to notice how her eyes rapidly shifted away from him when he did so. The tension hung thickly in the air, and suddenly Alec wished for nothing more than to be back home in Seattle, away from her so he could collect his thoughts. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, and she fumbled her hands together nervously.  
  
Outside, they both could hear the winter storm raging on as the wind howled ominously above them. The blizzard was still going strong, and they knew that they wouldn't be able to leave the cellar for hours, not if they wanted to stay alive.  
  
So, they were still trapped down here.  
  
Alone.  
  
Alec feeling guilty about going off on Max; Max feeling guilty for never giving Alec enough credit, and for forcing a life on him that he hadn't asked for.  
  
Both subconsciously wanting to offer the other some kind of comfort and apology.  
  
Both deciding that maybe declaring a truce and becoming tentative friends wouldn't hurt - for a little while, at least.  
  
Both trying not to wonder why they allowed each other get under their skin so badly.  
  
Both trying to ignore how gorgeous the other was when they were irritated.  
  
It was chaos. Pure madness.  
  
God help them.  
  
  
  
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A/N: Please R & R! Getting feedback makes me dance the jig, and that's quite funny for my co-workers. ;)


	3. Hidden

Disclaimer: This is the part where I write that I don't own any of the characters from Dark Angel, and that they belong to some other dudes. So, um, yeah...I don't own anything...  
  
...except for Alec/Jensen Ackles, who is my love slave. (God, if for some reason Jensen Ackles ever read my fanfiction, he'd think I was a total nut...but BAH! It's his fault for being so damn SEXY!)  
  
Summary: This story takes place sometime in the second season. It will include spoilers from episodes through 'Medium is the Message' (US/Canada air date: 12/13.01). Max has dragged Alec halfway across the country to help her rescue Joshua from White. A blizzard, White, and other unexpected tangibles present obstacles for the pair. The story begins with Alec discovering Max unconscious and suffering from hypothermia in a storm cellar. Alec nurses Max back to health, but the close quarters of the cellar bring to light unexpected feelings - and suppressed desires. Will Max and Alec be able to save Joshua, survive a snowstorm, defeat White's men, and ignore their growing attraction? Odds are against them.  
  
Rating: R (for adult language and situations)  
  
A/N: Wow, again! I sooo was not expecting such a strong response for CH 2, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think out of every chapter for any Dark Angel fic I've written, that one was my favorite. I loved the humor of Max and Alec's situation, but at the same time, I was able to voice some of my misgivings about Max (because, yeah, I do have a problem with her sometimes- well, a lot of times.). The vanilla latte I had the Friday morning I wrote that chapter also made me jittery as hell. I was literally bouncing off the walls at work. Either way, chapter 2 was the easiest chapter I've ever written, and it just flowed out of me. I'm just hoping that I can feel that same rhythm for this chapter. Anyway, here is Part 3 of Body Heat. Enjoy Max and Alec as much as I do.  
  
A/N2: Thanks to Jewels13 for putting a line in her review of chapter 2 that I just HAD to use.  
  
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**__**

  
BODY HEAT  
  
by  
  
hobbes  


*************

****

CHAPTER THREE

Hidden  


  


"I didn't know you felt that way." Max said, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had enveloped them for the past few minutes.  
  
"Huh?" Alec asked somewhat dazedly, snapping out of his intense study of the dusty cellar floor.  
  
"Uh, well, I didn't know that's how you felt about me. I mean, I didn't know I made you feel that way." Her eyes shifted uncomfortably across the room, looking as if she'd rather be discussing any other subject in the world, and she stopped, as if she didn't know what to say next. A delicate blush stained her cheeks and Alec felt his own face flush, afraid of what was coming next. How could she have known? I mean, of course she *must* have felt his arousal when they woke up this morning, but Jesus Christ, he couldn't help his body's reaction to Max! He was only a man! She was a beautiful woman - who was pretty much naked at the time- and she had been rubbing up against him! And she was surprised he had reacted? And worse, now she wanted to *talk* about it? Alec blinked at her, and realized his mouth was gaping open. He quickly closed it, but couldn't quite manage to wipe the dopey expression off his face. Gee, with his suave sophisticated style, she would be swooning at his feet any moment.  
  
He swallowed hard, the action scratching his suddenly dry throat and a light bulb went on over Alec's mind. His eyes narrowed at her. Oh, he got it... This was probably some type of amateur psychosis from her. Her way of dealing with him and his annoying...reaction. No doubt she was thinking of the nicest way to tell him that he stood absolutely no chance with her.  
  
Screw that! Boy, did Max have a big surprise coming - he didn't even *want* her. She could throw herself naked at him, and offer all kinds of sexual favors, and he would be the one turning *her* down. Ha! The joke was on her!  
  
Okay, so that wasn't exactly true. If Max got naked in front of him and offered her body and performed erotic acts, he'd take her up on it. He wasn't stupid, after all. But that didn't mean that she needed to know that. Sure, she was hot, but she was also a royal pain in the ass. There were other women just as good-looking -no, better looking! - and they wouldn't piss on him the way she did. Hell, he could get about any woman he wanted with the wink of an eye and the snap of his fingers. Let Logan have her - he didn't want to deal with her nasty attitude anyway.  
  
So, plastering a vaguely bored expression on his face, he decided to take the Manticore route to what was going to be an unwanted and uncomfortable conversation - deny and lie.  
  
Then he snorted at her, the action filled with indifference.  
  
Max waited for a reply from Alec, but for several long moments, none came. However, numerous different looks passed across his face. First, he paled slightly and looked a tad bit frightened. Then, he looked almost..pained at whatever thoughts were going on in that brain of his. Yet again, his face contorted and he smirked at her, as if she was some misdirected, ignorant woman whom he had dislikable task of humoring. And then - and this is what sent her from zero to pissed in 6 seconds - he snorted at her!  
  
  
  
What the hell was his problem? She was trying to be nice and even (gasp!) apologize for the horrible behavior she'd exhibited since they'd first met. But if he was going to act like that ...well, screw him!  
  
Max placed a hand on her hip - a now familiar stance when Alec was around - and exasperation colored her voice. "Did you ride the short bus back at Manticore? Because I just made a statement and I'm expecting you to talk - not *snort* -back. If we both talk back and forth for a while, it creates this interesting concept called *conversation*. I know, I know: thinking and talking at the same time is complicated for a pretty boy like you. But if you concentrate hard enough, I'm sure you can accomplish that basic human function." She walked closer to him as she spoke and her movements exuded fury.  
  
Alec exhaled slowly and counted to ten. If they were able to rescue Joshua and make it out of this mess alive, he was going to kill her. Where in the hell did she come off talking to him like he was some mentally challenged child? He clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes, bending his head down closer to hers.  
  
"You see, Max. This is what I was talking about. Don't you *ever* have anything nice to say? Or is that too hard? God forbid you stop being a total bitch for one minute. That would ruin the tough-chick image you put off, and we wouldn't want that, would we?" His sarcasm returned, coming back in full force. Her face stayed expressionless, but he could see her fists tighten up at her sides. The girl was fuming.  
  
Good!  
  
"Well, Alec", she talked slowly through gritted teeth. "I *was* going to be nice before you stood there looking at me like I was some kind of freak who was taking up your precious time. Get this: I was even considering *apologizing* to you for coming off the way I have since we first met. I mean, you're right - you aren't always a total asshole. After all, I'm sure you are somewhat tolerable when you are asleep. But hey! What the hell was I thinking?"  
  
"I don't want any goddamned apology," he growled and spun away from her. He didn't want her to see the embarrassment that was no doubt all over his face now. Okay, so she was going to apologize to him, and not bring up his...well, whatever it was he felt for her. He couldn't help but feel relieved. But why had he thought her totally innocent remark was in relation to his feelings - no! Not *feelings* for Max. His...lust for her. Yes, lust was the right word. Just because all he'd been able to think about since stepping into this damned cellar was him and Max in various states of undress - and positions - didn't mean that she was on the same perverted brainwaves he was. Honestly, he should have known Max wouldn't want to talk about anything like that. So why the hell had he overreacted?  
  
He knew why. It's because her scent was intoxicating him, not letting him think straight. The memory of her silky skin against his flesh still burned where they had touched, almost as if she were branding him. He could still feel her hair where it had raked across his chest, and his lower body still tingled where her thigh had rested. Alec sneered at the humor of his situation. Funny, a man can be a genetically engineered soldier and still be outdone by a pretty girl and an erection. He raked a disgusted hand through his already tousled hair, and let out a ragged breath.  
  
Damn it!  
  
When he got back to Seattle, the first thing he was going to do was get laid.  
  
Behind him, Max threw her hands up in the air. She tried! She couldn't help it that if on top of being an ass, Alec was a total idiot. Rolling her eyes, she made her way to the opposite corner of the room, where she slid down into a sitting position and wrapped her arms around her knees. She closed her eyes and proceeded to indulge herself into some sulking.  
  
Why had she ever asked Alec to come with her? He drove her absolutely crazy back home, and was surely getting on her last damn nerve now. So why?  
  
Max sighed. She knew why. Because he was an X, and two X's were better than one. And because she desperately needed to save Joshua.  
  
Alec turned back around and noticed Max had slipped quietly to sit in the corner. Her head rested against the wall, and her arms were curled around her knees. Circles of stress bagged her eyes, and her face was troubled. She looked so small and fragile that, for a moment, he wanted to cross the room and take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be all right.  
  
He felt ...guilty. The girl had almost died in the past 24 hours, and no doubt she was concerned about dog-boy. And here he was giving her grief because she had wounded his male pride.  
  
Damn.  
  
Alec knew that it'd be a cold day in hell before Max allowed him console her physically, but maybe - just maybe - she'd accept his comfort as a ...friend. Making up his mind, he walked over and sat down next to her. She opened her eyes and looked at him incredulously.  
  
"You have an incredibly quick temper, Max. That's not healthy."  
  
"Oh, for Christ's sakes! Can't you just leave me alone?" she asked, exasperated.  
  
He sighed and pondered on what they could talk about amicably. Logan? No. She was probably still pissed about that whole virus/doctor ordeal. Manticore? Nah. He'd had enough of Manticore to last a lifetime. But then he remembered...when he had first met Max...  
  
He turned his head toward her, and extended an olive branch.  
  
"Tell me about 493." He stated sincerely.  
  
Max's shock was obvious. Where in the hell had that come from? She stared deeply into his blue eyes, trying to gauge if he was serious or not. He was. She briefly toyed with blowing him off with some simpering remark that would keep them emotionally distant from each other, but he seemed genuinely interested. Max realized that this was his way of apologizing, and that he was offering a truce of sorts between them.  
  
She decided to accept it.  
  
After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was only a few seconds, Max answered him. "Ben. His name was Ben, not 493, " she started hesitantly. "He was one of the twelve of us that escaped back in '09. But I'm sure you already know that." She turned away, losing herself in the bittersweet memory of her brother. "He was a wonderful boy, but Manticore ruined him. The irony of it all was that he became exactly what they wanted him to be - a soldier... a hunter...a killer." She echoed the words Ben had spoken to her on the Needle so long ago. "You look exactly like him." She whispered offhandedly.  
  
This wasn't a surprise to Alec; he knew that 493 - Ben - was his twin, but it hurt to think that every time Max looked at him that she may see the crazy X5.  
  
"Is that why you dislike me so much?" he asked, unsuccessfully attempting nonchalance and focusing his eyes on the ground. He didn't want her to see that her answer was unreasonably important to him. Max looked at him intently, and didn't fail to notice that his hands were tightly clenched together; his knuckles white.  
  
Her opinion of him on this mattered. Max couldn't explain why, but she was touched.  
  
She answered honestly. "When I first met you, back at Manticore - yeah. I think it bothered me." Max gave a small smile and continued. "But then, you opened your mouth and you were so different from him. Now, I hate you simply because you're a dick." She couldn't help the dig, and Alec chuckled.  
  
He cleared his throat and became serious again. "I told you I spent six months in psy ops because of him. They never told me exactly what he did, but it must have been pretty bad." His eyes clouded over in recollection. Max knew whatever it was they did to him in those six months, it was almost assuredly horrible. She sobered as well.  
  
"Yeah, it was. He killed several people, very gruesomely, very calculatedly. He was insane. He couldn't have been helped..." her voice trailed off.  
  
"What happened?" Alec asked delicately, knowing by Max's expression that this was becoming more difficult for her to talk about.  
  
"He died," she said flatly. "I killed him."  
  
He peered at her for several moments. Though she tried to hide it, remorse and guilt had crept into her voice. Alec knew that she thought of the twelve that escaped with her that night as family, and it must have been hell for her to kill someone she considered her brother.  
  
"You had no choice. You wouldn't have killed him if you didn't have to. He was a murderer, and you probably saved countless lives." Alec's voice was so certain about this that Max glanced up at him in surprise. His eyes caught hers and she was startled by the conviction there. There was no doubt lurking in their blue depths, nor was there any smidgeon of accusation. Without even knowing the whole story, he believed that she had done the only thing she could've. He believed in her. She didn't know why his faith in her mattered, but it did. She had so many self-recriminations and so much self-hatred about what she had done to Ben that just hearing another person siding with her decision lifted some of the weight off her shoulders.  
  
She gave a small smiled in gratitude. "Thanks"  
  
"No problem."  
  
His gaze held hers just long enough to become awkward, and he flicked his eyes up.  
  
"Um, it sounds as if the storm has stopped. We can probably get out of here now." He said. He stood abruptly and dusted off his jeans. He offered her a hand, and after a brief hesitation, she accepted it. He helped pull her up, but her foot caught on the blanket that she had warmed herself with the evening before. She slipped, and the action caused her to stumble forward. She let out a shocked gasp and Alec's arms instinctively circled around her waist to help steady her. Her breasts slammed up against his muscular chest and she grasped onto his shoulders to keep from falling. She stayed there unmoving for a second, attempting to catch her breath.  
  
"You should be careful," Alec whispered, and the huskiness of his voice caused her to look up. She nearly gasped again when she saw his eyes. They were dark and smoky, clouded with some emotion that Max couldn't recognize.  
  
An emotion that she was too scared to recognize.  
  
Max couldn't look away. She had never really *seen* Alec before now. Not this close, with so little space between them. But at this very instant, she really looked at him for the first time.  
  
He was gorgeous.  
  
He was enthralling.  
  
He exuded sex appeal.  
  
Oh God.  
  
Her lips were suddenly parched, and she absently flicked her tongue out to wet them. Alec's eyes shot downward to follow the teasing action. His grip tightened on her hips, and her own hands unconsciously dug into his shoulders. Their mouths were mere inches apart, and she briefly wondered what it would be like if he tilted his head downward and brought his lips to hers...  
  
Max eyes widened in alarm at her thoughts, and she abruptly and clumsily disentangled herself from him. She was breathing a bit faster than necessary, and her face was burning.  
  
"Uh, well, we should, uh, get out of here. We've got to get to Joshua as fast as possible." Her voice wasn't as steady as she would've liked, and she turned away from him to start fumbling with the ladder of the cellar door.  
  
'What in the hell just happened?' she wondered silently.  
  
Fuck! Who was she kidding - she knew what had just happened! She didn't want to admit it - hell, she would probably go to her deathbed denying it - but deep down she knew it was desire that had swirled about in Alec's eyes.  
  
And, if she hadn't stepped back and turned her face away from his, she knew that he would have seen the same thing reflecting in her own.  
  
This wasn't happening. It didn't happen. It couldn't happen. She had Logan...well, no she didn't. The whole damn virus affair made sure of that. And now...here with Alec...she couldn't be attracted to him.  
  
Could she?  
  
She groaned aloud.  
  
"You okay, Maxie?" Alec's amused voice called from behind her. No doubt he was enjoying watching her troubles with getting the ladder to stay still so they could climb out of this horrible, tiny room.  
  
"Fine. Just fine," she muttered hotly, suddenly wanting to slug him.  
  
If she had turned around and looked at his face, she *would* have slugged him. Alec was wearing a self-satisfied smile, unexpectedly feeling ten times better about their whole predicament.  
  
And the reason he was feeling better was because Max hadn't turned away quickly enough. He had seen the fire that sparked in her eyes. It was brief, but it had definitely been there, mirroring his own need.  
  
Finally, Max successfully got the ladder to stay in place, and she climbed up and out the cellar. Alec followed closely behind, enjoying the nice view it allowed him of her blue jean clad backside. He began whistling some non- descript tune and narrowly avoided Max's foot in his face.  
  
"Hey, watch it!" he cried.  
  
She looked down, and gave him her most innocent and angelic look, though her eyes were sparkling with mischief. "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I almost hit you?"  
  
Alec grumbled an obscenity under his breath and ignored her. She shrugged her delicate shoulders and lifted herself out of the tiny basement. He finished his own short ascension and heaved himself onto the snow-covered ground. The cloudy sky made things dark, but Alec figured it was about two in the afternoon. The blizzard had stopped completely, but it had left quite a blanket of snow in its wake. He glanced at Max who was quite obviously avoiding looking at him. Alec was tempted to start whistling again, but figured that this time, he probably wouldn't be able to avoid physical injury from Max.  
  
The landscape before them was flat, and there was no sign of shelter or establishment of any sort. The snow covered terrain stretched on seemingly for miles. The blizzard had done a thorough job of covering up any landmarks that Alec may have recognized during his initial search for Max. However, he was undaunted, and he clapped his hands together dramatically. He stepped past Max and started walking. "Let's get this bitch on the road."  
  
"How do you know you're going in the right direction?" she asked smartly.  
  
"I don't," was his simple answer. He didn't slow down, and he didn't look back. Max stared at his retreating form, suddenly unsure of herself around him. The events in the cellar minutes ago left her feeling off-balance. After a moment, though, she shrugged it off. Joshua was still in White's clutches, and her friend was relying on them to rescue him. Precious time was ticking off, and she would never be able to forgive herself if something happened to him.  
  
So she followed him on through the snow, not really sure of where they were going and only hoping that it was toward civilization, not away from it. Their tentative and unspoken truce hung delicately between them. No longer enemies, but not quite friends either.  
  
  
  
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A/N: Please read and review. Reviews make my little heart oh-so-happy. :)  
  
A/N2: The line that I borrowed from Jewls13 was the 'pretty girl and an erection' line. I couldn't help it.


	4. Shakes, Breaks and Small Mistakes

Disclaimer: If I owned any of the characters from Dark Angel, I wouldn't be in the office I'm in now toggling back and forth between windows to hide this document from my boss. I'd be in another office, and Alec and I would be…..ahem….finding inspiration in each other. *snorts* 

Summary: Max and Alec have trekked halfway across country to save Joshua from White. Along the way, they will be put in jeopardy by the blistering cold winter weather along with White and his henchmen. But the one thing that is proving most dangerous is each other, and the mutual desire that will not be ignored…..

Rating: R

A/N: *****WARNING: Long Author's Note Ahead**** 

When I first started writing this story, I fully intended on making it a two or three chapter ficlet, with Max and Alec doing the horizontal mambo in that time period. The original purpose of 'Body Heat' was to be an NC-17 ditty, and to get M/A sex flushed out of my system (because we all know that they soooo want each other). However, as I completed Chapter 1 and started on 2, my mentality changed. Chapter 2 took on a mind of its own, and suddenly I could see their situation being deliciously problematical with the nasty thing that always complicates mere sexual attraction- the development of (God no!) _feelings._ So, obviously, I didn't have Max and Alec make the beast with two backs. Hell, they are barely recognizing that they are attracted to each other, and they still aren't really friends. So, I decided to continue on with the story and develop their relationship, and follow their race to save Joshua. I like having action/adventure in my fics – and I also love angst - so, you can probably count on both of those elements in the future of this story. Another warning - this is probably going to a longish fic because I have a lot of real nifty ideas in mind for my favorite DA characters. The fun is just starting for this pair, and they don't know yet what White has in store for them, or what other things can go wrong (_or deliciously right_) on their journey. And exactly how long can they go on denying their growing desire? Especially as they come to rely on each other for emotional support as well… (Oh, the situations I am going to put them in..…) *Rubs hands together anxiously* 

Oh, I also changed the formatting of the entire fic to hopefully make it an easier read. J 

Thank you all so much for reviewing!!! Getting reviews are so wonderful. I take the constructive criticism to heart and try to fix the things that are brought up (if you go back and read Chapter 1, there are subtle changes to it because of the constructive criticism I received). Praise, of course, is always welcome and even encouraged. ;) You guys keep me wanting to write more, and wanting to tell this tale. I love the fact that there are people out there who are truly interested in the stories that I write.

****

Pari106- Kaoz is one of the devout Alec lovers on a DA board I frequent (www.forums4fans.com) . I titled that chapter after her, and it fit because it could also be a misspelling of chaos. Also, I will be writing a cookie to this with a more in-depth look at Max's feelings about Ben/Alec. Thanks for the suggestion!!! And get back to work on Pitter Patter!!!! ;)

Okay, enough blabber from me. On with the fic!

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**__**

BODY HEAT

by 

hobbes

***********************

CHAPTER FOUR

Shakes, Breaks, and Mistakes

The little light they had from the day was fading rapidly, and Alec desperately wanted to find some kind of sign of civilization before nightfall. Hell, he almost wished they would've stayed in the cellar until the following morning just so they could've had seven or eight hours of sunlight- however dim it was. Of course, he knew Max wouldn't have agreed to that. She wanted to get a move on, cause thoughts of Joshua worried her more and more. But Alec couldn't help but feel frustrated. The lantern that he'd brought on his initial search for Max was running low, and it was getting bitterly cold. He was engineered to survive freezing weather for quite a while, but it didn't mean he enjoyed having to do it.

__

Joshua.

He had to admit that he was a little worried about dogboy, as well. That knowledge made him grimace, though, and he sighed. Great. Max's naiveté and idealism was starting to rub off on him. Before long, he'd be a regular Mother Theresa – or worse - Logan. Thinking of Logan made him frown even more. Not that he really disliked Logan, but he didn't quite *like* him, either. He didn't know why, really. Logan was okay - well, as okay as could be expected for a norm. They'd even been in a couple of tight spots together and they'd worked well as a pair. But deep down, he just thought that Max and Logan weren't….right. Max always seemed so damn depressed around him. And the guy did practically everything Max wanted him to. She had Logan wrapped around her pinky finger.

Of course, Alec didn't even pause to think that he hadn't really denied Max anything either, because that wasn't the point.

She needed someone that provided her an intellectual and physical challenge. Someone who had the balls to stand up to her; someone who wouldn't back down in an argument (as no doubt Logan probably did). Of course, the virus thing had proven to be a big hurdle in their relationship, and Alec knew they were spending less and less time with each other because of it. It was probably for the best. Max seemed to have some kind of weird notion that her and Logan were destined. Several times, Alec wanted to point out to her that if there was such a ridiculous thing as 'fate', then why was the same fate that wanted her and Logan together constantly pushing them apart? Alec never actually said this to her, however, for fear of losing an eye, an ear, a hand or another important part of his male anatomy.

That was his not-quite humble opinion on the matter, though. And he thought it was a very fair and very objective view. 

__

'You're just jealous', a little voice whispered out of the depths of his mind, causing him to nearly trip over a tree stump buried under the snow.

__

What?

Jealous? 

__

Jealous? Him? Even though it was in his mind, his internal voice's pitch was rising in incredulity.

Jealous, my ass! 

He most certainly was _not_. Not. At. All. Not of *Logan*. Hell, the guy couldn't even walk without the bionic legs. 

He silently scoffed. He had absolutely _no_ reason to be even a little envious of Mr. Four-Eyes-Only. 

None.

Whatsoever.

Right?

****

Max was looking down at the ground as she walked, her own thoughts going a mile a minute. She wanted to be annoyed with Alec. Upset with Alec. Hate Alec. But she couldn't quite pull it off - not as much as she would've liked to, anyway. Oh, he still drove her crazy, but not in the same way he had just a few short hours ago. This bothered her greatly, but no matter how much she tried, she couldn't summon up the dislike that had kept her distant from him since they had met. He just had to seem so damn earnest in the cellar when they were talking about Ben, when he had asked her if she hated him because of the resemblance to the dead X5. His eyes had struggled to stay flat and emotionless, but he couldn't hide it from her. After all, she was a master at hiding emotions behind an uninterested façade. 

She grimaced as she felt a small twitch in her stomach. A very brief feeling of nausea passed through her and just as soon as it came, it was gone. Her head, however, was starting to throb dully with the beginnings of what was sure to be a massive headache. 

Greeeaaat. That was just what she needed on top of everything else that had already went wrong. She rolled her eyes heavenward in a silent plea of sorts when a dim light in the distance caught her gaze. She quickly focused in on the light, which appeared to be shining from a window of a farmhouse. She squinted and tried to get more details - it was a two-story, somewhat run down structure. In the driveway next to it was an equally dilapidated dark blue or black pick up truck. About fifty feet behind the home was a quaint cottage. There were no lights on in it, and Max guessed that it was probably unoccupied. She gave a small sigh of relief. Civilization, finally. It seemed as if they had been walking for hours. Usually, it wouldn't have been a problem, but the snow slowed them down and her pants were wet. Her feet were freezing through her wet shoes, and her feet felt sticky from it. 

"Alec, over there." He turned to her, and she nodded in the direction of the house. She saw his vision narrow as he sharpened in on it. Then, relief relaxed his features. He, too, was glad to see signs of life. "Good job, Maxie," he congratulated offhandedly. He moved his eyes to her and sudden concern had him furrowing his brow. "Hey, are you feeling okay?" he asked. "You look a little pale." 

"I'm fine. Just got a little headache coming on, that's all." She answered, careful not to meet his stare. Alec took a small breath, seemingly about to say something more, but she brushed past him before he could. "Let's go. Joshua is counting on us," she reminded, obviously trying to change the subject. He decided to let her get away with it, and quickened his pace to keep up with her. 

However, Max really wasn't feeling fine. The pain in her temple was rapidly growing sharper, and she could feel it with each step she took. She was careful not to move her head too much as it just made the ache worse. Her stomach was also beginning to feel queasy again, and she wanted to cry out in frustration. Dread was filling her, and she knew exactly what was happening. Her treacherous body was once again turning on her. 

Damn it to hell! 

Max had dealt with these symptoms - she had dealt with them all her life. These were the signs of a seizure.

****

Alec wasn't fooled. Something was up with Max; it was written all over her face. Her eyes were drawn and slightly glassy. Whether she knew it or not, she was walking a bit more sluggishly as well. He knew she wasn't going to like it one bit, but when they got to the cottage, he was going to make her rest for a bit. He wondered if this was the after-effect of hypothermic state last night, but he doubted. She should be fine now - they were designed to recover quickly, after all.

That's when Max suddenly stumbled and fell to her knees. 

"Max!" He immediately knelt beside her and wrapped his large hand around her delicate upper arm. Her hair hung limply in front of her face, successfully hiding her pained expression from him. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, but there was no venom in his voice, just concern.

"Nothing. I just tripped on something, that's all," she said, but her voice was weak. 

"Uh-huh." It was apparent that he didn't buy her explanation. His grip tightened -but no painfully so - on her, and he gently helped her resume a standing position. He wrapped his arm around her waist and brought her to lean on him for support. She weakly struggled against him, but to no avail.

"Alec, what the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked with as much hostility as she could muster, which wasn't much at all.

He felt her tremble violently in his embrace, and it dawned on him what was wrong - she was having a seizure

"Nice to see your deductive reasoning skills are still at their peak after ten years out in the world alone," he said with light sarcasm lacing his voice. "I'm letting you lean on me." His voice dropped and he leaned further into her, offering silent support. "You know, you don't have to keep coming up with these excuses to try and get close to me, Max. Contrary to popular belief, I'm a pretty easy guy to get to know intimately." His eyes twinkled with mischief as he looked down at her. 

"Keep dreaming, pretty boy. It'll be a cold day in h-" another shudder racked her body and interrupted her quip.

She struggled to get herself under control, then stiffened and tried to move away from him again. "I told you, I'm fine. Just let me go." 

"It's obvious your fine," he drawled, rolling his eyes. Before he could speak again, she cut him off.

"Look," Max suddenly snapped. "Even if - " she took a deep breath and closed her eyes while trying to fend off another fit. She was successful and looked at him as she began again, softening her voice this time, and with a different approach. "We've got to get find Joshua as soon as possible. He can't afford us traipsing around in God's country pausing every five minutes to stop and smell the roses." 

"Max, if White were going to kill him, he would have done so immediately instead of kidnapping him. Joshua is still alive. I'm sure that White's got his reasons, but whatever they are, let's be thankful that right now they are keeping Joshua breathing. Now, you won't do anybody any good like this. You're weak and would be pretty much helpless. You need to rest and we need to get you some milk. I need to eat. I'm also very tired and would like a shower, as well. That shack behind the main house is the perfect spot to accomplish all this. We can start off again first thing in the morning. Break of dawn. I promise." Alec was displaying a rare moment of seriousness and reason - and Max knew he was right. She wouldn't be worth anything the rest of the night, and was fighting hard to keep the seizure down as much as possible. She felt it building up in stomach however, and it was promising to be more of a pain in the ass than it already was. 

"Fine," she sighed tremulously. "We'll rest. But we're outta here as soon as I'm feeling better, so you better hurry with that shower and get as much rest as you can. But I walk on my own, I don't need you to carry me or anything like that. Got it?" Alec shrugged and let go of her. Much to her embarrassment, another convulsion overtook her and though she tried desperately to keep her balance, she couldn't help but lurch forward in pain. 

"You know, accepting help isn't necessarily a weakness Max. Even if it means accepting from me." Alec said and drew her to his side again, shifting the lantern he was carrying to his other hand. This time, Max had no smart comment for him. She just accepted his support. 

They reached the small cottage and climbed up three makeshift steps onto its small porch. Alec had no trouble picking the lock on the door, and they entered. The scent of mothballs and dust immediately filled their nostrils. He didn't dare turn on a light for fear that the owners would notice and decide to inspect.

It was a rather quaint chalet, with a few inexpensive furnishings, but it was cute nonetheless. The living room greeted them first. It was tidy with a small sofa against the far wall and rocking chair tucked into the corner. There was a TV on a small stand, and two end tables with matching lamps that sat on either side of the couch. To the right was a hallway, and Alec decided to follow that. He felt Max shiver at his side, and he glanced down at her. Her eyes were squeezed tightly shut, and her face was contorted in pain. Something sharp tugged at his heart, and he fought the urge to brush an errant hair off her cheek. No doubt she would find that to be an unwelcome gesture, and even if she was too weak to kick his ass now, she'd make him pay for it later. Not to mention that he didn't all the bitching that she would do until she _could_ kick his ass, either.

Nevertheless, he did hold her tighter to him as they continued on down the hall. They came to the bedroom and he nudged the door open with his foot. This room was also adorned with cheap furniture, and there wasn't a frame or headboard for the bed - the mattress and boxspring just sat flat on the floor. It would do, however, and he crossed to it.

****

It hurt, as seizures always did, and she was relieved when she felt her legs bump into a soft mattress. 

"Max," Alec whispered gently. "Found you a bed. Lay down. I'm gonna get you a nice tall glass of milk." He dropped his arm from around her waist but brought both hands to her shoulders. For once since…..well, for as long as she had known him, she was actually _grateful_ for his presence. To be blunt, seizures were hell on her, and it was nice to have someone around and helping, even it was Alec.

"Thanks," she said. 

The gratitude seemed to take Alec by surprise. "You should have seizures more often if you act like this."

"It takes a lot of energy to be a bitch, and I'm just too exhausted for it now. I'll make up for it tomorrow. I promise," she tried to give him a small smile, but couldn't quite make it form on her lips. 

He chuckled softly. "Well, I guess I can be a bigger dick than usual, if I have to. It's a tough job, but I do it so damn well." This time, her grin was a bit more successful, yet the pain still evident on her face. She flicked her eyes down, feeling a bit awkward at their facetious, almost friendly banter.

He pulled the sheets and blankets back for her and eased her down onto the bed. With care, he tucked her in and then looked at her, an odd expression of his face. She couldn't help but stare back at him. His eyes were filled with something that resembled …tenderness? She swallowed thickly. She could handle 'smarmy Alec', 'sarcastic Alec', 'selfish Alec' and, of course, 'smart Alec'. But 'concerned Alec' and 'emotional Alec' were something else all together. He didn't bother turning away from her stare, and for once, he didn't seem to be in a hurry to hide the very real emotion in his eyes. He just stared directly at her, almost through her, unblinking in his intensity. As much as she tried to stop it, a delicious heat was rising in her cheeks.

Yep, she definitely had no idea how to deal with _this _Alec_._ This Alec was dangerous. 

Her body violently contracted again, and she tightly shut her eyes, relieved to have a reason to break contact from his unnerving gaze. She heard him kneel down, and then felt as his hesitant fingers grabbed hers, his thumb softly stroking the back of her hand. Any other time, she would have quickly jerked her hand away, but right now, she found the contact comforting. 

Max was abruptly reminded of the day when she had to perform the crude, makeshift operation on Bullet in that ramshackle of a garage. Alec had helped her then, and for a brief moment, he had been soothing and supportive to the injured X-6. She had been shocked, but had quickly brushed it aside and forgotten about it. But now, with him acting like this… well, maybe there was more to Alec than the smart-ass persona he put off.

"I'll be right back, okay? I'm just going to run into the kitchen and get you that milk I promised." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and was off, taking the lantern with him. She closed her eyes and unconsciously held her breath as another wave struck her. After an aching minute, it subsided and she exhaled. She couldn't find the energy to open her eyelids again, so she decided to keep them shut. She wondered if Alec was having any luck finding the milk.

Alec.

She wanted to stop thinking about him, wanted to stop being around him, because he was starting to have strange effects on her. If she wasn't careful, she may actually start to like and respect him. And that would just be horrible.

__

'Well, why would it?' a traitorous voice nagged in her brain. She suppressed a yawn and decided to ignore her own question, because quite truthfully, she didn't have a response for it. She blamed her inability to find a reasonable answer on being drained from the seizures and snuggled deeper under the blanket. 

"I still don't like you, Alec. Not one bit," she whispered aloud, but her voice was unsure, almost childlike, as if she were trying to desperately to convince herself of that fact. Thankfully, she couldn't dwell on it much longer because, she succumbed to a restless slumber.

****

Alec walked down the hall back from the kitchen. He hadn't found any milk, so he was going to have to break into the main house to see if he could sneak some out of there and bring it -

__

Just what in the hell are you doing here? 

That damn inner voice was back, and the thought made him stop dead in his tracks. _Here you are, out in Bumfuck, Wyoming helping Max track down a mutt you couldn't give two shits about. You are an idiot_! _You're willingly putting yourself in danger by getting in White's radar - again- and now you're playing nursemaid, for the second night in a row! Not only that, but you're doing it for a chick who absolutely hates your guts! So what if she's hot! Put your dick in check and think for yourself!_

That inner voice was right. He was a fucking idiot, and he shouldn't be here; it was too much trouble. _She_ was too much trouble, and Alec was a guy who liked to stay out of said trouble. So, he was just going to have to tell her that he was leaving tomorrow morning. He figured he'd pretty much fulfilled his debt to her with last night and tonight. She'd saved his life, now he had saved hers. Over. Done. Finite. If she had a problem with it, oh well. Have a nice trip. See ya in Seattle.

However, when he'd stepped back into the room and saw her lying on the bed, something punched him in the solar plexus. It was a feeling that went beyond mere lust, and it left him staggering for breath. He crept silently toward the bed careful not to wake her. 

Her hair was splayed out on the pillow, and the flame from the lantern highlighted her face in the most flattering way. She looked like a fallen angel, so helpless and vulnerable as seizures continued to torment her sleeping body.

"I still don't like you, Alec. Not one bit…." He started, shocked not only at her words, but because the fact that she was awake. He began to formulate a flippant answer to her, but slowly realized she hadn't been talking to him. In fact, she didn't even know he was back in the room; she had been talking to herself. He watched as her breathing evened in a telltale sign of sleep.

An unrecognizable feeling gripped him as he processed her words. Not because he believed them; in fact, it was quite the opposite. Uncertainty had filled Max's voice, and it seemed almost like she was trying to convince herself of her dislike for him. He smiled in spite of himself

That made him feel…well, he didn't know exactly what it was he felt. 

Part of him was pleased. It was nice to know that he wasn't the only one affected here. But there was something else that he couldn't name, something strong and almost suffocating in its force. 

His hands reached down of their own accord, and the back of his knuckles rubbed lightly against the soft skin of her cheek. Then, he moved to stroke her silky hair, relishing as the satin strands slid easily through his fingers. 

Alec had never before _wanted_ to take care of anyone else. It was always himself first, middle and last. After all, he was the only one he could count on. If there was a mistake made, better he be the one to make it. And that way, there was no one who could let him down, no one he could mistakenly place faith in just to be disappointed by later. Manticore had drilled self-reliance into him, and that was one of the few traits he agreed with. He'd taken it to a new level, in fact, and decided to be his own man within the walls of the facility. He didn't want anyone - Manticore or otherwise - dictating his life. So, he'd made the best of a bad situation there, and aligned himself properly with the right personnel, and as a result was always able to manipulate a situation to _his_ favor. He never cared for any of that 'team' shit. His credo had worked, and military life was more tolerable because of it. 

Since he'd been out, he'd tried in earnest to live by that same standard. He'd look out for number one, and to hell with who got stepped on in the process. He'd been pretty successful, too. 

Oh, he'd convinced himself that the only reason he'd saved Max's ass the first time was because she _had_ burned Manticore to the ground, thus letting him free. He really did respect her for that, though it'd be a cold day in hell before he'd admit it to her. So, he'd done her a favor by getting her out of a hell of a situation when she had foolishly turned herself over to White for the X6's. (He still thought she was a fucking idiot for that whole fiasco.)

Then, he'd told himself the reason that he couldn't kill her when his own _head was going to explode _was because he didn't want to be what Manticore had made him to be - a killer. And because he in no way wanted to be compared to 493, and that's exactly what would have happened. Sure, no one else would look at him and know that he'd had a twin who'd been a psychotic murderer, but he would never have been able to live with the knowledge that he'd remotely anything in common with 493 beside looks - and to be honest, that was bad enough. 

Just thinking about it made him want to shudder.

Either way, though, helping her had always been really in _his _best interests.

Until this damn trip.

Here he was with Max's hair tangled in his fingers, and he was only concerned with what was best for _her._ No matter how he tried, he couldn't reason himself around that. 

It scared him to death. 

He dragged his hands out of her hair, but couldn't stop from touching her completely. He brought his fingerstips down her cheeks again with light, feathery touches, before moving to her further down. His thumb found its way to stroke along her full lower lip, and Alec nearly groaned aloud as the softness of it teased his skin. She was driving him crazy by simply lying there, and he had no idea how to stop this madness. 

Or if he even wanted to. 

"What the hell are you doing to me, Max?" he murmured, his puzzlement making his voice crack slightly. With more effort than it should've taken, he tore his fingers away and stuffed both hands deep into his pockets, not trusting himself to _not_ touch her again. Then he inhaled in silent frustration and turned to leave.

He still had to break into the main house. Her seizures weren't over, and he knew that they would just get worse if he didn't take care of it soon. So he set off to find the milk for her, and ignored the small voice in his head saying that he was making a mistake; that he was damn fool who was getting way too involved in her life.

Because subconsciously, he already knew that he'd been way too involved from the first moment he'd laid eyes on 452. 

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A/N: Please R & R! As I said, reviews really make me want to keep writing, and I do this really funny dance each time I get one. ;)

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Melissa - Yes, I did mean 493. That's what I get for writing while half-asleep. :)

****

Owl- Bleh, I made niggled up. It's a cross between 'nagged' and 'wiggled'. I just changed it to nagged. ;)

Merry Christmas all!! 


	5. Shiver

Disclaimer: If you recognize them, I don't own them. It's as easy as that. But I am stealing Alec, and I don't care if Chic or James have a problem with it! *sticks tongue out tauntingly at Eglee and Cameron* Come and get me, suckas!! 

Summary: Ech…you know the plotline by now, hopefully.

Rating: R (and it will definitely begin to show this chapter. Now, R isn't just for violence and language…it's also for *ahem* adult situations. So, you are warned!)

AN: Now, during this fic, I plan to describe certain …er…situations between Max and Alec in detail. I'm not going to give it an NC-17 rating however because A) there is more to this fic than just sex (I swear!) and B) any sexual situations will be written tastefully. It's not going to be Hustler mag stuff, it's going to be Harlequin novel type descriptions. So, once again - consider yourself WARNED! 

Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Seriously, I can't say just how exhilarating it is to receive a review. It really pumps me up and gets me back on the computer writing again. (Writing can be a difficult thing, especially when you are suffering from the cursed WRITER'S BLOCK like I am now. I know exactly what I want to happen in this chapter, but I just don't know how to begin it. It's been troubling me for the past three days…sonofabitch!)

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**__**

BODY HEAT

by

hobbes

***

CHAPTER FIVE

Shiver

"Max. Max! Wake up, I've got you some milk - and I even brought you two turkey sandwiches." Alec knelt down beside the bed and spoke gently into her ear. He had no idea how Max reacted to people waking her up, and just in case she didn't like it, he was going to coax her awake as gently as possible. The girl packed one hell of a punch, and he wasn't particularly in the mood for a fist in the gut. Max ignored him and burrowed deeper into her blanket, shudders continuing to rack her small frame.

"Come on, Max. Milk, sandwiches- just for you."

She mumbled something, then gave a contented sigh.

"That's right, Max. I've got food here." His lips twitched. If it was one thing an X-5 couldn't say 'no' to, it was food.

"Alec…" she moaned, lost somewhere in the last stages of dreamland the mind experiences before the body regains consciousness. Max opened her eyes lazily, and shot him a drowsy grin. Her eyelids fluttered shut again as she lethargically sat up, proceeding to stretch in a very catlike manner. Every movement of hers was done in idle pleasure, and Alec swallowed thickly. With her hair in a tangled mess from sleep and that smile curving those luscious lips, Max was pure temptation, and he was but a mere sinner. Alec was trying real hard not to notice how her shirt stretched tightly across her breasts, and he swore he was doing his best to ignore the memory of her in the lacy bra she had worn this morning -the same one that she still had on underneath her clothing. However, it was a ridiculously futile battle. He gulped again, his throat painfully dry.

Max's eyes flew open, and any remnants of sleep were gone in an instant. If Alec hadn't averted his eyes from her in trying to block out the images dancing in his mind, he would have noticed the red blush of embarrassment on her cheeks. He didn't see it however, and looked back at Max only when her body seized fitfully once again, thankfully interrupting his thoughts of long legs and lace. She hunched over on the bed and instinctively Alec lay a soothing hand on her shoulder. The consoling action seemed to unsettle Max, and she carelessly shrugged it off. Though she hadn't been rude about it, the movement cut nonetheless.

Alec turned around and set the lantern down, simultaneously picked up a plate off the nightstand. "Well, here are your sandwiches, and I found you a nice, big carton of milk," he said stiffly. 

Max wordlessly took the milk from him and drank heartily from it. He had prepared himself sandwiches as well, and plopped down in a rocking chair that sat next to the bed. They ate in a very uncomfortable silence for a while, and Alec didn't fail to notice that Max was doing her best to avoid eye contact with him. Tension hung thickly in the air, much worse than it had been before. 

"So, um….How are you feeling" Alec inquired, wanting to break the awkward quiet that filled the room. 

Max leisurely finished chewing the bite she had in her mouth, and for a second, Alec wasn't sure if she was going to answer. 

"Better," she finally offered flatly. It was clear she wasn't in the mood for conversation.

He cleared his throat. "Oh. Well. That's good, then." He couldn't think of anything else to say and decided it was easier to enjoy the rest of his sandwich rather than chi-chat with an unwilling Max. He was too damn tired of her game. Here he was going out of his way to be nice to her, and had assumed they'd settled on a truce of sorts. However, he supposed that her seizures were putting her panties back into a bunch. 

__

Panties. 

He directed his gaze to the ceiling and groaned inwardly. Okay, bad idea to think of Max and panties at the same time. 

As soon as Max finished eating her sandwich, she set her plate on the floor and lay back down. "We stay until morning because I'm still not one hundred percent, but we are getting a move at dawn." Max's tone was every bit the soldier she was engineered to be, and when she was done, she rolled on her side and turned away from him - dismissing him.

Alec decided to deal with his annoyance maturely and made a sour face behind her back, barely containing the urge to mimic her words. Jesus Christ, if the girl didn't loosen up she was going to give herself a heart attack by thirty. However, she did have the right idea about sleep. He was tired as hell, and now that he'd sat down, his muscles didn't seem to be able to move. Even eating had become a chore. No doubt tomorrow was going to be a long day, so he may as well get as much rest as he could tonight. Yawning, he set aside his empty plate and tried to get as comfortable as he could in the wooden chair. He tried a few different positions and finally settled on the one that was most tolerable. He must've been more tired than he realized because as soon as he closed his eyes, his mind instantly went blank and within two minutes he was asleep.

****

***

Max's extra perceptive hearing detected the precise moment Alec's breathing pattern became even, and she light out a small sigh. Careful not to make too much noise, she delicately kicked the covers off and stood up. Alec was in a seemingly uncomfortable position in the rocking chair, his arms crossed over his chest and his head resting on his shoulder. She hesitated briefly, then grabbed the blanket from the bed and gently threw it over him, covering him from the neck down. He didn't stir, and for that Max was thankful. She wasn't sure she him right now. He had her feeling off-kilter, and all she wanted was time alone; time when Alec wasn't in the same room that she was in, breathing the same air she was, _talking_ to her, and most importantly, taking care of her. So, she grabbed the lantern and quietly slipped out, shutting the door behind her with a soft click. She walked down the small hallway until she came across what she presumed to be the bathroom. Turning the flame up slightly, she opened the door and peered inside, pleased to see she had indeed found the bathroom. It was small rooms decorated in the same modest-yet-comfortable feel as the rest of the house. On her left was a sink surrounded by a blue and white marble countertop. Above that hung a gigantic rectangular mirror that nearly went to the ceiling. Next to the counter was the commode, its seat adorned by a fluffy blue cover. To her right was a large, elegant and antique porcelain tub with a pipe running up the front to form it's showerhead. Max nearly moaned out loud. It was perfect. After the last forty-eight hours, a long hot bath was just what the doctor ordered.

Max set the lantern on the counter, then bent to turn the facet on. She held her hand under the water, and a sigh escaped her lips when she felt the steaming hot liquid flowing through her fingers. Wasting no time, she quickly shrugged out of her clothes, practically having to peel her jeans off as they were still very wet from walking through snow all afternoon and evening. 

The tub finished filling and she turned the water off. Gingerly, she stuck her toe in to test the temperature. It felt absolutely wonderful, and she stepped in completely. She languidly lowered herself until her entire body up to her chin was submersed, relishing the heat that seeped through and tinted her skin red. The sound of moving water echoed through the room, and the lantern provided a soft and relaxing glow. 

Max leaned her head back to rest over the edge of the porcelain and shut her eyes. No matter what life handed her, a bath was always the one sure way she could collect her thoughts. Her mind roamed to the dream she'd been having when Alec had roused her for the sandwiches and milk. She knew that she had been standoffish to him a few minutes ago, but she couldn't help it. She was reeling, and he had been the absolute _last_ person she wanted see. Just bad timing on his part.

Max's dream had been quite …_interesting_, to say the least. Gritting her teeth, she tried to push the images out of her head, but her psyche had other plans. No matter how badly she wanted to think about something else, _anything else_, the dream was the only thing on her mind, and images of it flashed behind her closed eyes…

__

…A soft flickering flame lit the cellar. Alec stood before her wearing jeans, but for some unknown reason was without his shoes or shirt. Max was sitting on the floor and knew without looking down that all she had on was her black bra and panties. She watched in fascination as his lips pulled up at the corner, and he offered her his hand. She took it, and struggled to stand. Much to her dismay, she tripped on something and her body slammed into his. His arms went around her waist, and her hands flew to his shoulders. A weird sense of déjà vu overtook her, but her mind was too foggy to concentrate on where she may have done this before. Of course, having her chest pressed tightly against Alec's wasn't helping matters either.

"What's wrong, Max?" He questioned huskily. She looked up, and her eyes widened at the raw desire that showed on his face. She should step back, she needed to step back, but somehow she couldn't - and to be honest, she really didn't want to. 

"I don't know," she answered. "I feel strange, very *off*." Her mind was still hazy, but with Alec this close, she was beginning not to care.

"Well, it's your dream." He shrugged nonchalantly, obviously feeling that his answer explained everything. Max nodded dazedly, but didn't fully comprehend what he said. She couldn't comprehend it because her attention was focused on other things: the feel of him against her, the subtle but strong muscles beneath her fingers, the piercing blue of his eyes, the way his voice seemed to catch on her name, and the oh-so-sexy shape of his lips.

She cleared her throat and halfheartedly tried to disentangle herself from him. His grip tightened, however, and she raised a questioning eyebrow.

Alec snorted. "Oh, come on Max. You don't want me to really let go."

"I don't?" she whispered, confused.

"Of course not. This is what you really want." In one swift move, he had her bare back pressed against the cold wall, and his hands came to grab her biceps. Her own hands flew to his chest - not in protest, but in surprise. 

"What are you doing?" she breathed. 

"Tell me, Max. Tell me what you want."

"I don't know what you'r-"

"Don't lie, damn it!" Alec demanded, his voice taking a raspy pitch. His thumb start drawing small, sensual circles on the tender skin of her upper arm, and her stomach quivered. He leaned his head down to her ear, and she got goosebumps as he whispered this time. "Tell me what you want, Max. Tell me who you want" He allowed his lower lip to brush softly against her flesh as he spoke, and her legs went weak. 

"I don't know what you mean…" She tried to protest again, but her voice was much less credible. 

"Bullshit!" he accused. Alec decided to increase his torture, and slid one knee between her thigh. Should could feel his body heat seeping through the denim, and she was putty in his hands. He pulled his mouth from her ear, but only so he could trace her jawline with it. Shivers were shooting up and down her spine, and stars were dancing in front of her eyes. Finally, his mouth came near hers, but while she was expecting a kiss, he was content to just nip at her bottom lip with his teeth. She writhed restlessly and emitted a low, throaty moan of pleasure. 

"Who do you want, Max?" he asked again, this time more forcefully as he briefly replaced his teeth with his tongue.

Her answer exploded from her in a desperate gasp, and Max knew that at this moment, she would've begged on her knees to feel him beside her, on her, in her. "You, Alec! I want you!"

It must've been what he wanted to hear, because his lips crushed down on hers, showing absolutely no mercy in their exquisite abuse. Max encircled her arms around his neck in a futile attempt to draw him closer. He pushed his tongue past her lips, demanding for entry to mate with her tongue, and she helplessly acquiesced. The ground was shaking and fireworks were going off in her mind, because this was intense. Madness, pure and simple, but Max needed his mouth on hers like she needed to breathe. Alec made some unintelligible primal sound, and dragged his head away from hers. Max moaned in protest until she felt his lips searing the tender flesh of her neck, and his tongue dancing deliciously along her throat. She gasped in ecstasy and let her head fall back. His fingers went to work on her bra clasp, and hers went to his fly. Everywhere they touched, his hands were fire on her, and she was burning alive. She needed to remove any annoying scrap of clothing that was preventing their skin from touching. After a few seconds, she had succeeded in unhooking his jeans, but he was having problems with her top. He tore his mouth off her stepped back, his voice a low growl in his throat. "Let's get rid of this damn thing," She trembled as he grabbed the material and savagely ripped it off her, sending pieces and shreds of it everywhere. Then she nearly died when he sank to his knees and pressed a hot, open-mouthed kiss to the tummy, right above her panties… 

And thankfully, that was the point where Alec had woken her up. "Oh, God," Max cried as her eyes flew open. She dunked her head under the water and held it there for a bit. How in the _hell_ could she have had an erotic dream like that about _Alec?_ An amazingly detailed erotic dream at that! She found her way back to the surface and swiped the water out of her eyes. What in was wrong with her lately? When she had first woken up from _that_, she feared that she was in heat again. She'd frozen in fear, but after thinking for a moment, Max was certain that she wasn't. Part of her was deeply thankful, of course, but the other half was dismayed. It would have been much easier to swallow lewd dreams involving _him_ if she could've at least blamed it on her Frankenstein work up. But no, she was fine - hell she wasn't even due for another cycle for at least two months. 

"Oh, God," she repeated. She'd had that dream of her own accord, no heat to blame. Max felt nauseous. As much as she desperately wanted to, she couldn't deny it any longer. Deep down, she knew the truth.

She was attracted to Alec. Smart-ass, stubborn, arrogant, vain, shallow Alec. And those were his better qualities.

Damn. 

Just when she thought things couldn't get any worse, they did.

Well, she maybe she couldn't deny it, but she sure as hell could ignore it. It would go away eventually. Just because she thought someone was hot didn't mean that something needed to happen. Not at all. People found other people attractive everyday. It was no big deal. As long as Alec never found out, she'd be fine. Pretty soon, she'd have Joshua back and they'd all be back home in Seattle, where the only time she'd see him would be at work. After all, she figured that the only reason this horrible attraction was rearing its ugly head at the moment was due to the simple fact that she and Alec were spending so much time together. That's the only reason. When this ordeal was over, she wouldn't have to be so damn up close and personal with him. But Max could handle it until then. Yep, she'd just go on as if nothing was out of the ordinary because really, nothing was. She still didn't like him. And, come on, it wasn't as if she had any *feelings* for Alec. She wasn't _that_ stupid. 

Max conveniently ignored the small whisper in her head that was annoyingly repeating the word 'liar'.

Sighing in satisfaction at figuring out her dilemma, she took the plug out of the drain and stood up. She sure felt better now that she had analyzed her feelings - or lack thereof. Humming some odd tune, she grabbed a plain white towel that was hanging on a rack and dried off. Her muscles had lost most of their stiffness after having a chance to relax, and her seizures were now completely gone. Max glanced at the clothes that lay on the floor and dreaded putting them back on. She really didn't want to slip back into wet jeans and a damp shirt, so instead she knotted the towel loosely around her breasts. There had been an armoire in the bedroom, it probably had guest clothes in it. She'd find something to sleep the rest of the night in, and by morning, her clothes should be mostly dry. 

Yes, things were looking up already…

…until she swung open the bathroom door and ran smack dab into the solid wall of Alec's chest.

His hands flew to her shoulders to steady her. "Oomph!" he cried out as her elbow landed in his stomach. He exhaled loudly and gave a pained chuckle. "We've really got to stop meeting like this, Max," he said. Amusement and sleep colored his eyes, but she didn't dare dwell there. Instead, she looked straight ahead at his shirt. She wasn't ready for any sort of encounter with him yet. A few more minutes and she would've been fine - she could have dealt with him with no problem. Right? 

Images of 'dream Alec's'lips on her skin taunted her, and she paled. Who the hell was she kidding? The sooner they got Joshua and returned to Seattle, the better.

"You okay?" He saw her face go white and his brow knitted in concern. Oh, God! Not the tender Alec thing again! Damn him! And he was way too close for her comfort. His male scent was intoxicating, and she was having trouble keeping visions of her dream at bay. She couldn't concentrate, and she was forgetting how to breathe.

__

'What in the hell have you done to my brain?' was what she thought.

"Fine. I'm fine," was what she said. Her answer sounded strangled, even to her own ears. 

"Alright...if you say so," but he seemed uncertain, waiting for her to convince him.

"Yes." Max cleared her throat when her voice came out as a high-pitched whimper. "Yes," she repeated, more sure of herself this time.

She stiffened. She needed to get away from him - now. His body was still pressed up - hard - against hers, and she could feel his heat warming her blood through both his clothes and her towel. But before she could move, he spoke.

"I was wondering where you had gone, so I came looking for you." Alec's voice was amused, and he showed no signs of backing away or letting go of her shoulders. Quite to the contrary, he seemed to know exactly how uncomfortable he was making her, and was immensely enjoying it. Instinctively, she looked up at him, then silently cursed herself for it. Max had been ready to spit out a smart-ass comment, but his face was a lot closer than she had thought, his mouth mere inches from her own. As her gaze settled there, she realized she needn't have worried about looking him in the eye. Oh no, his lips were even more intriguing.

And just that quickly, the mood changed, the air between them crackling with an unseen but very alive electricity. Alec's breathing became more shallow, and her eyelids were starting to feel heavy. Max swore that there was a small earthquake and the ground had shifted - why else would she have leaned into Alec when all she really wanted to do was get as far away from him as possible?

"I needed a bath, so I took one," she finally answered his non-question, albeit distractedly. Alec's gaze narrowed hungrily and her heart began to pound painfully against her ribcage. Her hands were still tangled in his shirt, and no matter how her brain kept telling her to let go, she couldn't quite get the message out to her body. 

"Hmm…really?" His lips curved up mischievously, much like the Alec in her dream, and she held her breath. He slowly bent his head to her delicate shoulder and inhaled. His face was so close that she felt his hair brush against her cheek, and the action seemed incredibly erotic, causing her to tremble. Desire pierced sharply through her and she could only stare as he brought his eyes back to hers. He was close - so damn close. "You smell good," he whispered huskily. She said nothing - she couldn't, because she couldn't think - and he softly trailed his hand along her collarbone on a delicious journey that ended with him gripping the back of her neck. The action was both gentle and rough, and primal instinct began to take over. Max's eyes fluttered shut, and she tilted her face toward his.

'_WHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?,' _her brain screamed. '_Damn girl, you aren't some nitwit teenager with a schoolgirl crush. So, he's cute - yeah, yeah, whatever. Just move - that's all you gotta do! MOVE!' _In a hazy and desperate last-line-of-defense attempt, Logan's face popped into her mind. Guilt and shame immediately washed over her, and she was finally able to act.

Her eyes flew open and she flexed her hand firm against Alec's torso. "Um…I, uh, I got to get some clothes on," she stammered, her face burning. "You know, cold and all." She pushed off of his chest and practically flung herself backward out of his arms.

That was a huge mistake.

It all seemed to happen in slow motion. The zipper of his jacket caught on the edge of her loosely tied towel, and it unwrapped from her body as she pulled away from him. Max watched in sheer horror as it fell oh-so-slowly to the floor. Something must be very wrong with her muscles - that was a recurring problem of hers the past two days - because she made no move to stop it. 

However, when she looked up at Alec, whose expression was a comical mixture of desire and shock, she sure wished she had. Standing totally naked in front of him after her erotic dream _and _the intense *moment* they'd just shared was not her idea of a good omen. 

Not at all.

*****

A/N: Whaddya guys think? I'm not sure if I really like this chapter, but let me know if you do. Some chapters just flow, and some chapters are a bitch to write - this was one of them. So, reviews, people…REVIEWS! My coworkers enjoy laughing at me when I dance (I don't know why, I think it's cute, myself). Oh, the title is in tribute to my favorite Cold Play song, 'Shiver.' (It's awesome- you should d/l it)

By the way, this fic has more than 17,000 words, not 13,118 like ff.net says. Hrmmph!

I don't know why I felt the need to say that, but oh well. 

*waves hi to Jaci* I miss you girl! I'm working on the connection!

****

HAVE A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR'S EVERYBODY!!!!


	6. Never A Dull Moment

Disclaimer: I am very, very poor. You can sue, but I promise you will get nothing worthwhile, unless you like Harry Potter; if that's the case I own all four books.

Summary: If you want to know the plot, read the first five chapters…

Spoilers: Hints at things to come in the upcoming episode 'The Berrisford Agenda'. For those who don't know - that's the Alec background episode! *does a little dance* Yee haw!

Rating: R (for sexual content and language)

Author's Notes: Once again, thank you ALL for the reviews. They are *lovely*! Now, just a quick vent here: I had most of chapter 6 written when freaking MS Word ATE it! Grrrr…I can't even begin to tell you how pissed I was. I had it saved on a 3 x 5 disc too, but it corrupted the actual file somehow, and I couldn't access it from home or at my office. So, I am re-writing it. That's why there was such a delay getting it out. Damn piece of dog-doo Word. *kicks machine* 

On a happier note: As you all know, this was NOT going to be this long of a fic to begin with. It was just going to be simple smut fic. Now, I've done the outline, and it looks like it's going to end up being 15 or 16 chapters, with all the chapters much longer than before. We're talking NOVEL length here, baby! Wahoo! I'm so excited though, cause there's LOTS of good stuff coming up for these two…action, adventure, drama, romance…and of course, SMUT! ;) But because the chapters are longer, expect just a bit more time between them…

But in the meantime, sit back and enjoy the ride…and don't forget to review!!! :)

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**__**

Body Heat

By

Hobbes

*~*~*~*~*

Chapter Six

Never a Dull Moment

__

'There is a God, and he loves the shit out of me.' 

That was Alec's first coherent thought after the towel fell away from Max, leaving her glorious body exposed for his viewing pleasure. She was gorgeous, and he wanted her. Badly.

He whistled low in appreciation, struggling to find his voice. "Wow, uh, Max. Quite a, uhm, rack you got there. Manticore did a wonderful job. You should write a thank-you note." 

"Shut. Up. Alec," Max ground out, effectively cutting off his musings. "Just shut the hell up and turn around. Now." Her expression left no room for argument, and Alec feared that if he didn't do as she said, she would literally kill him. 

He threw his hands up in mock surrender and gave her as innocent of a smile he could muster before facing the opposite direction. 

"Fine, fine! All I was saying was that you have a nice set of ti-"

"SHUT UP!" 

"Temper, temper, Max. You have anger management issues you need to address."

Alec heard her moving behind him, presumably picking up and wrapping the towel around herself. 

"Come on, Max. No need to hurry up or anything," he drawled sarcastically

"Kiss my ass, pretty boy."

"Oh, my virgin ears," he said on a sigh and rolled his eyes. "Screw this, I've already seen you naked. It's no big deal now." He turned, not caring whether she was ready or not. Unfortunately, she had just finished knotting the towel above her ample breasts.

"I didn't say you could turn around!" she cried furiously.

"Oh, come off it. You're covered up and your virtue is still intact." He raised a dark eyebrow at her suggestively. "Of course, I don't mind changing that, if you like." 

"It'll be a cold day in hell before I let you touch me, Alec."

His mouth turned up mischievously at that, and Max took an almost imperceptible step back. "Is that so?" He took a step forward and closed the small gap between them. Max's almond-shaped eyes widened in fear – and what was that? Lust? 

Why, yes. Yes it was. Barely visible behind the mask of annoyance and impatience, but it was there none the less, taunting him. Teasing him.

Later on, Alec would curse himself for acting the way he did. He'd also curse her for pushing his buttons, but either way, he should have just left her alone. It would have been the wise thing to do, the smart thing to do. However, at the moment, Alec wasn't feeling very wise or very smart. All he felt was desire, sharp and throbbing in his veins. He was struggling to keep it under control, to not do something stupid. But it was hard - damn hard, and the longer they stood there, the more appealing 'something stupid' became.

__

'Just do it,' goaded his reckless side, his I-don't-give-a-shit side. Damn the consequences, and damn Max for making him feel this way. 

'_Do what you want. Take what you want.'_

He'd been toeing a thin line ever since he ran into her in the hallway minutes ago, standing there dripping wet from her bath and barely covered. He'd been instantly aroused by the sight, and his blood had slowly simmered. 

Then, when they'd gotten so close - her scent intoxicating him… his hand on her neck… her eyes closing…lips mere millimeters apart – he'd almost crossed the line. She was pure temptation, and he was vulnerable to her. 

And then, when she'd pushed him away, he'd seen the disgust in her eyes. The shame. He knew she had been thinking of Logan. It cut, surprising, the pain surprising in it's intensity. However, he had only been able to muse over it for a split second, because then her towel fell off and he became completely distracted by *that*, forgetting that hurt.

But now that pain came back in full force, bringing along with it a need so powerful he felt he'd been kicked in the solar plexus. The fact that she could make him feel so many unwanted things infuriated him.

"Get out of my way, Alec" she hissed. 

'No," he said simply, and instead took a menacing step forward, closing the small gap that was between them.

Max attempted to take another step couldn't. She was trapped between his body and the bathroom door.

In that instant, Alec became predator, and she became prey. 

__

'Can't escape me this time, can you Max?'

"Do you not understand English, Alec? What the hell is wrong with you?" her voice hitched, breathless. There was a glint in his eye that was making her nervous -very nervous. 

"You know, Max, your bad attitude was much more tolerable when you were naked."

"I don't need or want your tolerance." She spat.

"No, Max, I didn't think you did. But you know something? I don't care for the way you're talking to me right now. In fact, I hardly *ever* like the way you talk to me. You're so nice to everyone else, but a total bitch when I'm around. Even after I take care of you, save your life countless times. We had this conversation earlier, and I thought you understood. You're a smart girl. I guess I was wrong. Why can't you be nice to me? Why can't you ever just say one nice thing to me?" his tone was easy going – almost friendly - but fury and desire warred in his eyes. 

He leaned in further, bringing them nose-to-nose, and placed a hand on the door behind her. Max could feel his breath on her cheek, and it sent several small shivers through her. She schooled her face into resignation, desperately trying to hide the unease she was feeling. "Alec, look, I said I'm sorry if I've been a bi-"

"I never talk to you the way you talk to me," he interrupted as if she hadn't even spoken. "In fact, even though I've screwed up things a little here or there-" she snorted derisively at that "- I've done my best to make it up to you. And why should I even care what you think? Why?" He didn't bother waiting for an answer. "Well, I guess part of it's because you are a pretty hot chick. It's amazing what you can get away with that face and that body." 

"Damn it, Alec! I don't know what the hell your problem is, but get off my back, would you? I'm cold all I want to do is put some clothes on." She tried to push her way around him, but he moved quicker, effectively preventing her from leaving the conversation.

He raised an eyebrow in angered amusement at her. "You don't know what my problem is. That's pretty fucking funny, Max." He thrust his hips forward, and even through his jeans and her towel, Max could feel his erection pressing into her stomach. Her eyes widened in shock and a surprised gasp escaped her lips. 

"*You* are my fucking problem. This is just what standing next to you does to me." He grinded against her and nearly groaned out loud at the pleasure it brought. "And do you want to know what's even better than *that*, Max? Better than me getting a hard on every time we're within ten feet of each other?" She paled, afraid to hear his answer, and slightly shook her head 'no'. 

He gave a harsh chuckle, the sound gritty with pent-up desire. "Too bad."

In an instant, his lips crushed down on hers, bruising in their force. He was so angry with her, and even angrier with himself. It was almost as if he wanted to punish her for everything she had unknowingly done to him; for every emotion she made him feel that he didn't understand; every time he had done something for her, only to get brushed off by her later on. Alec heard Max make a muffled protest in her throat, and he knew that he was going over the edge and acting a little crazy. But she made him crazy, damn her, and he couldn't pull away – not yet. He just needed to get a little taste of her, a little touch, and then he'd be fine, and he'd let go. Max would no doubt kick his ass when he stopped this, but for now…

He pushed his tongue against her lips, demanding entrance to the heated depths of her mouth, needing to see if it tasted as good as it looked. She stiffened beneath him, and he prepared for the blow he knew was coming.

Max surprised him, however. On a moan, she opened her mouth to him, letting him inside. And suddenly, he was drowning. Her tongue darted out to duel with his, mating in an intricate dance that also involved teeth and lips. She was intoxicating, a heady mix of cherry and honey. He brought his fists up to tangle themselves in her hair and pull her head back, allowing himself a better angle to taste her.

From day one, Max had known deep down that there was some sort of unexplainable - and on her part unwanted - chemistry with Alec. He drove her crazy and now she knew why. She had been scared to befriend him, scared because of _this_. This madness that was encompassing them right now. He was hot, hard and male against her, and she wanted him. Logic told her to push him away and run as far and fast as she could, but for the life of her, she couldn't call up the willpower. 

Desperately, she tried to conjure an image up of Logan, but it wasn't working. Every time she thought she might be able to, he'd do something different to assault her senses – nip, lick, slide or suck. God help her, she was lost. She felt desirable and wanton, dizzy with feminine power, but at the same time was mentally cursing herself for letting him kiss her. And kissing him right back.

__

Kissing? Ha! The more appropriate word is devouring. His velvet tongue darted in and out, tasting, teasing, and driving her crazy. His lips were full and surprisingly soft, and they slid over and through hers with skill and finesse. The dream she had earlier paled in comparison to this. In fact, every man she'd ever kissed – including Logan – paled into comparison to this. This was raw, animalistic and primal. This was hot. 

Suddenly, all of their arguing and verbal abuse seemed to be nothing more than a long, drawn out verbal foreplay, a storm that had been brewing to clash violently in this one moment. She needed to feel him, to touch him. She pushed her hands up underneath his shirt, raking against the hard muscle that lay underneath. Her mind flashed to the first time she met him; how he'd entered her cell all male arrogance and pure sex. Yes, even back then he'd exuded sex. She couldn't deny it anymore. 

He moved his lips off hers, and Max mewed softly - at first in protest, but then in pleasure as she felt his them drag down her jaw and onto her neck. He tugged her head back further and flicked his tongue out to savor the tender flesh at the base of her throat. 

"Alec…" she moaned breathlessly, clenching her fingers against his chest.

Alec growled low in his throat. Oh my God, how he wanted her. How he _needed _her. He was hanging on by a thin thread, and at any moment, he would be ripping that damn towel off and plunging himself inside her, hallway floor or not. 

His stomach dropped suddenly, and he realized just how animalistic his thoughts were. He'd never lost control before – never even feared losing control, and the fact that Max was pushing him off the edge so easily scared the shit out of him.

__

Fuck!

He ripped his mouth from her throat and pushed her away, struggling to catch his breath, which was coming in short pants. Max's breathing was uneven as well, and Alec tried not to notice how his kisses had swollen her lips, if possible making them more tantalizing and luscious than they were naturally. Her chest heaved and her eyes opened in confusion, her lids heavy with desire. He wanted nothing more than to pull her back to him and take her hard and fast, right here on the cottage floor. Max would willingly let him. 

But in the morning, she would hate him – and herself. As much as he didn't want to admit it, that knowledge was what kept him from doing it. The thought of ruining things with Max – the only person that he knew who even resembled a 'friend' – was enough to keep him away. For now, at least. 

"Damn you, Max" he whispered raggedly, and with jerky movements, pushed himself past her into the bathroom. He slammed the door behind him, physically putting the barrier between them that he desperately needed. 

Now, if it were just that easy to shut her out of his mind, as well.

*~*~*~*

Max slipped beneath the covers of the king-size bed for the second time that night.The long johns that she found would in the drawer of the Chester drawer would keep her warm until morning. More importantly, they also covered her from head to toe, hiding her body from the gaze of a certain someone who was – according to the sound of water running through pipes – taking a shower.

__

'What in the hell happened, Max?' she thought frantically. _'Alec and I did not do that. No. We did not just make out in the hallway of some tiny cottage in the middle Wyoming. No. We didn't. We just…didn't.''_

She licked her tender lips, which had a faint metallic taste from where his teeth had slightly broken the skin. It was a very real reminder that, indeed, she _had_ just 'made out' with Alec.

X5-494.

Ben's twin.

The jerk who had ruined things between her and Logan indefinitely – possibly forever.

__

'The man whose kisses left you dizzy and hot and wanting.

"No! No, goddamn it," she cried aloud. She could _not _let herself think that kind of thing_._

'You knew this was going to happen sooner or later.'

"No, I didn't!" 

__

'Didn't you?' 

"No!"

__

'This is going to be a problem. A big problem.'

Max grabbed a pillow and covered her face in frustration. Now she was holding a conversation with herself. She really _was_ going crazy. 

Sonofabitch! What had possessed him to kiss her? Why in the hell had she kissed him back?

__

"Because you wanted to. You've wanted to do it for a long time."

"Arrrgh! Shut up!"

She rolled over onto her stomach, keeping the pillow over her head. The water was still running, and for that she was thankful. She was dreading and having to face Alec after that whole…ordeal. He might want to talk about it or something horrible like that. So, she was just going to have to pretend she was asleep, and ignore him. Tomorrow morning, she would continue on like nothing happened between them.

It was going to be hard, but she could do it. She was a master at this kind of thing, after all. 

*~*~*~*

Alec banged his head softly against the shower wall. Cold water stung his flesh, temporarily extinguishing the fire that had burned within him moments before. He shut his eyes tightly, trying to fight the images that danced in his mind…

__

…The way her silk hair had slid so easily through had his fingers… The way her body curved into his perfectly... The cherry and honey flavor that still lingered on his lips... How the name that Max herself had given him had never sounded 'right' until she'd cried it out in ecstasy…

"Goddamn it!" Alec threw a fist at the wall in aggravation, pulling his punch it at the last minute as to not create a hole. His frustrated action surprised him. He was not one to lose control, or become easily angered. And he was definitely not one to take express his emotions in a violent manner. He'd always prided himself on being laid back and easy going - totally opposite of the always alert and tense solider Manticore had trained him to be. 

This was not good. He'd never lost control of himself before he met Max - well, all except for that once. Even then, he'd accomplished the mission he had been ordered to do. 

Lately, it had taken everything in him to restrain himself around her. And tonight - well tonight was just fucking great. He was the master of his domain, and he'd sure shown her that! Sheesh. Could he have been more out of control? Well, at least he didn't screw her. That was something to be thankful for. Right?

Alec laughed bitterly. No. It wasn't, because he would've at least gotten some. 

It didn't matter, though. This whole situation, quite frankly, sucked. 

He exhaled and grabbed the soap, lathering his muscled body fervently, trying - unsuccessfully - to wash the imprint of Max off. He scrubbed hard, his skin reddening in protest before letting the freezing water rinse the suds off. His mind raced a mile a minute, thoughts slamming in from every which way.

"Just pretend like nothing happened – because nothing really did," he whispered to himself. "You kissed her, so what? It's not that big of a deal. You didn't declare your undying love for her or something ludicrous like that. It was just a fucking kiss. Wasn't even all that good - you've had better."

__

'Okay, that last part was a lie. You've never reacted like *that* to a mere kiss.' 

He bent to turn the faucet off and opened the shower curtain.

There was no towel hanging on the rack. It figured. "Fuck, " he muttered through clenched teeth. He hadn't even bothered checking for one before he had stepped into the stall. 

Could anything else possibly go wrong?

__

'Maybe you should sleep in the living room- avoid her.'

He stepped out, letting himself air dry. 

__

'You're going to have to face her sooner or later. Plus, you're acting like a big priss.'

He looked down at his clothes on the floor and sighed. He grabbed his jeans and shrugged into them, but didn't bother with his shirt or jacket, and walked out of the bathroom. 

__

'Why shouldn't you get a comfortable bed anyway? That couch is probably hard as a rock. 

He made his way back to the bedroom.

__

'Anyway, are you going to let a woman dictate you're actions? Don't you have a mind of your own?'

He pushed the door open as quietly as possible. 

__

'After all, you're probably the last person she wants to see right now anyway.' The thought made him smile. 

Max lay on her side with her back facing him, seemingly asleep. He couldn't help but exhale a sigh of relief. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the bed, careful to not move it too much with the weight of his body. If he could just get in without disturbin-

Max shot straight up into a sitting position, her sudden movement nearly giving him a heart attack. "What in the hell do you think you're doing?" 

__

'Damn.'

"Jesus Christ! Have a cow, will you? I'm coming to bed. What do you *think* I'm doing?"

"You. Are. Not. Sleeping. In. This. Bed," she punctuated each word, her eyes challenging him to argue. 

"Yes. I. Am. Max," he imitated her voice. "And if you have a problem with it, *you* can find someplace else to sleep, because I'm not going anywhere." With that, he laid down, turning his back to her, signaling the conversation's end. He was tired. He really didn't want to deal with her right now. Maybe he should've gone to sleep on the cou-

__

Thud!

"What in the hell was that for?" he cried. He couldn't believe it; she'd kicked him off the bed! The girl was nuts! Psycho!

__

"That was for being you, Alec," she answered haughtily, and then resumed the sleeping position she'd been in when Alec had first entered the room. He climbed up onto the mattress, making sure to face so she couldn't kick him off again. However, Max seemed to be resigned to him sleeping on the bed whether she liked it or not. Good. The girl had been way to used to getting everything she wanted, and he'd be damned if he was going to give. Especially after what she just did to him.

She really was unlikable - bad attitude, selfish and she had a horrible temperament. But she was also loyal, caring, and would go out of her way for -.

__

'Damn it! Don't think like that!'

Alec shifted, flipping to lie flat on his back. 

__

'Shut your mind down. Just go to sleep' 

"It didn't mean anything," he blurted out, and immediately wanted to kick his own ass. Why, oh why, was he in the habit of saying whatever was on his mind? 

"You bet your ass it didn't, Alec. And if you ever force yourself on me again, they're gonna be raking your body parts up off the road."

Alec couldn't believe his ears. "Are you delusional? _Force myself_? You really are whacked, aren't you? Because as I recall, you weren't pushing me off, now were you? In fact, I very vividly remember you moani-" 

"SHUT UP!" She roared, and for once he did. She took several slow, deep breaths and Alec wondered if she was silently counting to ten., "Just don't let it ever happen again," she gritted out when she was able to collect herself. 

"Trust me, your highness, it won't."

"Good."

"Fine!"

"As long as we understand each other."

Alec ignored her last comment and rolled over on his side again, shutting his eyes. He seriously needed to get some solid rest, and at best he was looking at four or five hours before Max would be wanting to get a move on. Silence roared in his ears, deafening in its volume. A few minutes passed and he was still awake. He didn't know whether Max was or not, but her breathing was even, meaning either she wasn't, or she faking to avoid talking.

And that was fine with him.

Eventually, consciousness began slipping away from him, and images of the two of them slick with sweat and sex tortured his hazy thoughts. It was no use trying to think about something or someone else. It just wasn't happening, he was just too tired.

So in a trend he was becoming very uncomfortable with, she was the last thing on his mind for the second night in a row. 

*~*~*~*

A few hours later, his supersensitive hearing picked up the sounds of a person moving about the room. 

'_Jesus Christ, it's probably not even dawn, and she's already up. Hell, Manticore was more lenient than her!' _

He groaned sleepily, and buried his face in his pillow. "Max," his pleaded in exasperation. "Come on! Can't we sleep ju-"

"I'm afraid I'm not your little girlfriend, 494, but I would appreciate you telling me where she is." Alec knew that coarse male voice that all too well. A telltale _click _resonated in his ears, and less than a second later, Alec felt the cold steel of a gun being jabbed into the back of his neck.

He slowly rolled onto his back to face the intruder, taking in the empty space beside him where Max had lain when he fell asleep. 

__

'Where the hell is she?' he wondered. However, he quickly masked his confusion by greeting the unwelcome visitor with a lazy smile and sarcastic drawl.

"Well, good morning to you too, Agent White." 

*~*~*

Author's Note: There was a lot to this chapter that I cut out, but I am going to write it in later chapters instead. I think it would fit better. I hadn't planned on Alec and Max kissing in this chapter, but it just seemed like the time was right. I hope you like this, it was a bitch to write – especially after the original document got eaten by Word. *Glares at computer* 

Now, what happened to Max? And how is Alec going to get out of this situation? BWUHAHAHAHA… You just have to wait and read Chapter Seven, which should be out sometime next week. :) 

REVIEWS, PEOPLE…REVIEWS! Reviews hold inexplicable powers over me! :)


	7. Underneath It All

**Body Heat**

By

Hobbes

*~*~*~

Chapter Seven

Underneath It All

Alec found the gun he was staring at a hell of a lot more effective wake-up call than any alarm clock ever could be.   The unrelenting black steel was successfully making him bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.  Of course, the look was nothing compared to the feeling of the object as it was quickly and forcefully slammed into his cheekbone. 

"Screw the pleasantries, 494, and tell me where your girlfriend's at," White spat, bringing the gun back to Alec's eye level.  Alec lifted a hand to his face and absentmindedly rubbed the rapidly swelling spot where the gun had smacked him.  He felt the thickness of his blood against his fingertips, and his eyes widened slightly in dangerous anger, but he quickly schooled his face back into a mask of bored amusement.   

"She's not my girlfriend," he replied and rolled his eyes, not bothering to offer the agent any more information.  Once again, the butt of the gun smashed down at him, this time splitting Alec's lip.

White's impatience grew and his finger tightened on the trigger.  "Quit screwing around and tell me where she's at.  I know she was here with you, and I know you know her whereabouts."  

"Maybe I do." 

"Then I suggest you tell me where she's at.  If you do, I might just let you live."  

Alec raised a blond eyebrow and curled his lip at that.  "Yeah, you just might.  Come on, Special Agent White,' Alec began sarcastically.  "You know as well as I do that once you find out where Max is, I'm going to be eating that pistol."  White leaned toward him and smiled menacingly.  

"You may be transgenic filth, but you're not stupid – and you're right, you're dead either way.  However, it's up to you whether that's slow and painful or quick and easy."

"You know, I'm rapidly concluding you're not a morning person," Alec quipped, looking past the gun into White's eyes.

"Oh, I don't know about that, 494.  This is exactly how I like to start my day," White replied.  He pressed the gun threateningly against Alec's forehead.  "Now, where is that girlfriend of yours, 494?  I want a word with her."  
  


"Look, I don't know.  I woke up and she wasn't here." 

White cocked his gun.  "I don't believe you."

Alec smirked.  "Why am I not surprised?"  

Suddenly, White's face contorted in surprise as he bent over violently.  The gun fell from the agent's hands as he grabbed his groin in reflex.  Alec's reflexes kicked in and he leapt off the bed, catching the weapon before it hit the ground.  Max stood behind the agent, bending over and grinning into his ear.  "Looking for me, Ames?" she asked innocently.

"Fuck you," White ground out.  

Max kicked him again.  The blows weren't hurting him, but they were keeping him off balance. "No.  I believe its 'fuck *you*', Ames.  Now, where's Joshua?"  

"Wouldn't you like to know?"  White spat.  Alec slammed the gun down on his cheek. Payback felt good.

 "Oops, I'm sorry," Alec said innocently.  "The gun slipped."

 "Go to hell, 494."

The retort on Ames lips was cut off by the sound of glass breaking from the front of the house.   Max caught Alec's eyes.

"Looks like re-enforcements are here," Max said.

"Thank you, O Mistress of the Obvious," Alec sighed, rolling his eyes and cocking the gun.  His finger itched on the trigger.

"No!" Max cried.  "We need him alive if we're going to find Joshua."  She directed her attention back to White.  "This isn't over, Ames."  

"Next time, 452, I'll make sure you won't liv-" Alec slammed the butt of the gun down onto the agent's forehead, knocking the man unconscious. Off Max's look, he lifted a shoulder. 

 "It's way too early for Clichéd Villain Comebacks.  Hell, I was about to knock **_you_** out with that 'This isn't over yet' shit.  I can't deal before my first cup of coffee."

Another noise, closer this time.  Max once again sent a swift kick into Ames' groin, taking out her frustration on him.  Alec inhaled sharply and reached for himself in sympathy.

"Max, for the love of all that is holy and male, can you please hit him somewhere else?  My boys are hiding in my throat just watching."  

Max snickered.  "Couldn't tell by looking at them; those boxers definitely aren't meeting mission specifications."  

"I'll show you something that meets 'mission specifications'," he muttered.

"Will you shut up?" she whispered, edging toward the bedroom door.  "Yap, yap, yap.  That's all you do.  Drives me up the wall."  She peeked out the door.  Several men dressed in black and carrying large, dangerous-looking guns stood in the hallway.  "Great," she whispered under her breath.  "There's about ten of them out there," she whispered, turning back to him.  "What are you doing?" she questioned.

"I'm looking for my pants, Sherlock.  What the fuck does it look like I'm doing?"

"Hurry it up!  They're gonna be in here any second."  

"You just want to keep me naked.  See what you missed last night," he quipped as he reached for his clothes, partially hidden under the bed.  He looked up to see Max's eyes widen and her fists clenching at her side.  He swallowed.  "Oh, all right," he said, tossing her the gun. "Hold this a minute."  He shrugged into his jeans, then walked to the window.  

Max watched him as he crossed the room.  Though his movements were lax, his eyes were alert, focused over and behind her.  To another X-5, it was obvious he was keenly aware of their precarious situation and was ready for battle.  Underneath the smart ass veneer was a well-trained soldier.  Manticore had done a superb job, physically and mentally.

Wrapping his arm in his shirt, he put his fist through the window.  It gave with a muted crash.  A burst of wind immediately rushed into the room, giving him goosebumps in all the wrong places.  

Max owed him.  She *so* owed him.

He knocked the remaining glass from the window and pulled himself up and out.  He reached around, offering Max his hand.  She ignored it and yanked herself through unassisted, which was a mistake.  Max fell forward in another moment of gracelessness, moments frustratingly neither few nor far between when she was with Alec.  His arms shot out, fingers wrapping around her biceps.  Her hands instinctively flew to his chest for balance.  A chest that was hot, hard and oh-so-bare beneath her fingertips.  She swallowed thickly and glanced up.  His hair, which was already mussed from sleep, ruffled in the light breeze of the morning.  Stubble covered his jaw, giving him a rugged, sexy look.  Her body temperature skyrocketed.

Damn her traitorous libido.

*****IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT******  There is more to chapter 7, but I'm cutting it here.  If you want to read the rest – or any of my upcoming stories, please visit Nuns With Pens:  http://nunswithpens.hyperboards.com/index.cgi .  I will NOT be posting anything further on any of my stories on ff.net.  I do not agree with their censorship or needless banding of individuals.   NWP will be the exclusive place to find them.  I'm not the only author who will no longer be contributing, and we all invite you to stop by. 

--Hobbes


End file.
